University Sustainability Efforts
Annual Report
Board of Trustees
Administration & Finance Committee
September 9, 2015
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................3
Amherst Campus .........................................................................................................................12
Boston Campus.............................................................................................................................24
Dartmouth Campus .....................................................................................................................40
Lowell Campus .............................................................................................................................45
Medical School .............................................................................................................................55
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Executive Summary & University Efforts
The University of Massachusetts (UMass), which includes five campuses in Amherst, Boston,
Dartmouth, Lowell and the Medical School in Worcester, has made a collective commitment to
be “good steward of resources” including not only fiscal resources but also a commitment to be
environmentally responsible. Each of the University’s campuses conducts a wide variety of
sustainable programs and services, many of which are unique to its campus population but all of
which serve to make UMass as a whole better stewards of our environmental resources. The
efforts and achievements of each of the campuses demonstrates the strong responsibility felt by
members of the University community to our role as stewards of environmental resources. The
report that follows represents the programs and achievements of our campuses during fiscal year
2015.
UMass Amherst is a sustainability leader
serving as a model for communities across
the country. Students learn about
sustainability through courses, majors,
programs, co-curricular activities, and
research. The campus is a culture of
sustainability and lives sustainably
through efficient practices in food,
energy, and waste. UMass Amherst
continues to be on the forefront of
research and innovation. It is a community
of changemakers honored for leadership.
Learn, Live, and Lead It! Sustainable
UMass!
UMass Boston has a historically strong
commitment to environmental sustainability.
The campus' sustainability program, UMBe
Green, encompasses four areas in working
towards sustainability campus wide and
beyond: Recycling, Sustainability, Education
and Practice and collaborates with
departments campus-wide to make
sustainability a part of the daily experience
and support the vision and mission of
UMass Boston.
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At the Dartmouth Campus, everyone has a
role in the continuing story of energy
conservation. Students know that for energy
conservation to work, everyone needs to do
their part. By adopting 4 energy saving
behaviors and students pledge to “conserve
slash the trash, be bold be cold, strive for five
and reduce the juice.”
UMass Lowell is committed to climate
neutrality as an institution, and as a leader in
sustainable education, research and
innovation. The University’s first Office of
Sustainability began operations in 2015 and
along with the Climate Action Plan Steering
Committee serves as the primary managing
bodies for sustainability initiatives on
campus. Our commitment to sustainability
serves as a means to attract the best talent
and engage the entire campus community to
help our students become leaders in a
changing world.
The Medical School is committed to
sustainability throughout its campus
operations, as well as by encouraging
sustainable practices among its students,
faculty and staff. As programs in research,
education, public service and clinical care
expand, the community is working
cooperatively on a multi-layered program to
reduce energy consumption, reduce
greenhouse gas emissions, and expand
recycling and other measures that
collectively will limit the campus’ carbon
footprint.
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In 2007, the University President and all five campus Chancellors signed the American College
& University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). In so doing, the University
committed to developing a plan for achieving carbon neutrality, taking concrete initial steps in
order to achieve this goal, and publishing progress reports. In the years since, the University has
succeeded in reducing its carbon emissions by 16.71% when compared to the Leading By
Example baseline. Strategic investments in energy efficiency, recycling, building improvements
and others have the campuses on course to meet their goals.
During that same year, then Governor Deval L. Patrick filed Executive Order 484 which
established aggressive targets for state agencies including reducing greenhouse gas emissions
25% by 2012, 40% by 2020, and 80% by 2050 and reducing energy consumption 20% by 2012
from 2002 levels and 35% by 2020. It requires state agencies to reach targets through obtaining
15% of electricity from clean sources by 2012 and 35% by 2020 and reducing potable water use
10% by 2012 from 2006 levels and 15% by 2020. State universities are a key component of the
state’s efforts to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions as stewards of over 25 million
square feet of property across the entire Commonwealth.
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In October 2009, Governor Patrick signed Executive Order 515 known as the Environmental
Purchasing Policy. As part of the Commonwealth's overall goals of conserving natural
resources, reducing waste, protecting public health and the environment, and promoting the use
of clean technologies, recycled materials, and less toxic products, this policy committed to
reducing State Agency impact on the environment and enhancing public health by procuring
Environmentally Preferable Products and services (EPPs) whenever such products and services
are readily available.
Since taking office in January of 2015, Governor Charlie Baker has also indicated his
commitment to energy and sustainability efforts with his most recent filing of legislation
regarding solar net metering. In addition, he has filed legislation to bring more hydropower to
the State which he notes is a critical step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions while also
helping ratepayers by providing a cost effective alternative to fossil fuels like coal and oil. In
just his short tenure in office, the Governor continues to make commitments like these that will
give Massachusetts the tools to move forward on sustainability efforts.
Additionally, at the national level, climate change and carbon pollution have recently become
more prevalent topics in the national discourse. On August 3, 2015 President Barack Obama
announced a historic commitment to clean energy and reducing carbon emissions through the
“Clean Power Plan.” The plan creates the first-ever carbon pollution standards for power plants
and is designed to reduce carbon emissions by 32% from 2005 levels by 2030. It further sets
goals for each state based on their energy production and allows them to tailor their own plans to
meet the plan goals. The Clean Power Plan bolsters efforts to expand renewable energy
generation, build clean energy infrastructure, and promote energy conservation practices.
In an effort to do our part, the University through each campus has dedicated staff focused on
environmental responsibility. The UMass Sustainability Committee, comprised of the campus
Sustainability/Energy Mangers and President’s Office Budget Staff has been meeting regularly
to discuss Sustainability/Energy Management topics ranging from clean energy and efficiency, to
the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as well as: waste reduction and recycling, water
conservation, green buildings, alternative fuels, and efficient transportation. The group uses this
collaboration to determine other areas where the University can work together to be more
sustainable and determines areas where collaboration will create a more sustainable University.
One area where the Sustainability Group has been successful is in its partnership with the
University’s Procurement Council. In August 2014, the Sustainability Committee partnered with
the Procurement Council to determine areas where the University can employ procurement
practices that will help to support the University’s sustainability mission. It was determined at
this meeting that although some campuses currently strive to follow green guidelines, each are
employing different standards and are experiencing varying levels of success. As a mechanism
to launch a more cohesive and measurable effort in the procurement area, the group decided to
work on two specific commodities that would have significant impact: paper and toner
cartridges. While several campuses currently utilize 30% recycled paper, it was agreed that a
system-wide effort would improve compliance, and that immediate steps should be taken to
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formalize the recycled paper program at a system level. Subsequent to that meeting, Office Max
was able to report that roughly 30% of total spend on paper was on some level of recycled paper.
With regard to toner cartridges, the Boston campus initiated a pilot program with a
Massachusetts based, Minority owned, manufacturer of recycled toner cartridges. Based on the
successful pilot program, the program was introduced university-wide using a direct substitution
of Roxbury Technology toner products in the BuyWays system. The products offered by
Roxbury Technology offer cost savings, on average, of up to 20%. The program supports the
University’s sustainability goals: 90% of product re-used or recycled and supports MA Executive
Order 515 which sets a goal of the Commonwealth’s agencies using 80% remanufactured toner
cartridges.
In addition, the group continues to discuss standards that exist through the Sustainability
Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) which may guide our procurement practices in
the future. The meeting is just the first of many where these two groups can share ideas and best
practices and work together to develop programs that support the University’s sustainability
goals.
In addition to collaboration on internal initiatives, the Sustainability Committee partnered to
represent the University at the ACUPCC Conference held in October 2014 in Boston. As
previously described, the University has been a member of the ACUPCC since 2007. This year
the annual conference of the organization for the first time was held in Boston allowing the
University to participate on the host committee. In preparation for the conference, the campus
Sustainability Directors/Managers regularly met to discuss the University’s participation and also
worked with the overall conference host committee to ensure UMass was represented at the
conference. There were several areas where the University was represented at the Conference
including:
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Boston Campus Tour – The group toured UMass Boston’s new Integrated Sciences Complex
(ISC), a 220,000-square-foot, $182-million steel-and-glass facility. The group also toured
the UMass Boston Campus and Conference Center which opened in 2004 and was featured
in the NESEA Green Buildings Tour.
Amherst 2014 Climate Leadership Award Presentation - The awards are presented annually
to the signatory institutions of the ACUPCC that demonstrate innovative and advanced
leadership in education for sustainability and climate mitigation and adaptation. The
University’s nomination for the Climate Leadership Award was based in part on the in-depth
climate-related research taking part on the campus and the University’s efforts to infuse
sustainability across its curriculum, encourage student-led sustainability projects and
investigations, and build partnerships that foster sustainability in its community.
World Climate Simulation - Developed by UMass Lowell, the World Climate simulation
role-playing game, is where participants take on the roles of delegates to the United Nations
climate change negotiations and work together to reach a global accord to address climate
change. The simulation was conducted on two days over the course of the conference.
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Sustainability Showcase – This showcase allowed for specific campus projects to be put on
display during a 2 hour exhibition format. The University was selected to display and
present on:
o MGHPCC - The Massachusetts Green High Performance Computing Center
(MGHPCC) is a government, industry and university collaboration to build a data
center dedicated to supporting the growing research computing needs of five (BU,
Harvard, MIT, Northeastern, and UMass) of the most research-intensive universities
in Massachusetts while serving as a regional economic catalyst. The facility is
designed to minimize cost and environmental footprint. It achieved LEED Platinum
certification. The facility is the first university data-center in the U.S. to be LEED
Platinum certified.
o Dartmouth – Go-Gen - Completion of the design and build of a $33.9 million
guaranteed savings agreement between Noresco and the Commonwealth. The project
includes installation and performance term services. Phase 1 contained 18 energy
conservation measures to address energy and water savings opportunities and critical
heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) infrastructure improvements. Phase
2 contains the largest and most complex energy conservation measure - a new gas
turbine combined heat and power (CHP) system to replace UMass Dartmouth's old,
inefficient heating plant boilers.
o Dartmouth - Living Classroom - The Living Classroom is a space and a philosophy
that transcends our campus culture, curriculum, and operations. The goal of the
Living Classroom is to integrate the physical campus and university operations into
our curriculum through projects that are beneficial to both. The centerpiece of the
Living Classroom is the 350-acre forest on campus, one of the largest tracts of
undeveloped woodlands in Southeastern Massachusetts. By integrating activities such
as forest mapping, land use management, and nature interpretation into classes across
the curriculum, students learn about ecology, land use policy, climate change, and the
artistic interpretation of nature, while in turn contributing to the development of the
university's land use policies, a growing network of self-guided nature trails, and the
integration of artistic exhibitions into the natural and built environment.
o Dartmouth – Residential Halls - In the Fall of 2010 and Spring of 2011, the
University initiated two different methodologies to changing energy consumption
behavior within our student community. The first approach provided incentives for
students to sign up and participate in energy saving programs and initiatives. The
second approach relied on educational programs to facilitate positive behavioral
change from an environmental stewardship perspective. These two initiatives
established base lines for measuring energy reduction effectiveness.
Other
campaigns included testing different marketing slogans to determine the effectiveness
within a specific residential community.
o Amherst – Sustainability Curriculum Initiative (SCI) - A faculty mini-grant
program that provides support for teaching sustainability courses across a wide range
of disciplines. The cornerstone of the SCI is the pairing of each faculty member with
their department’s subject librarian. Together they design assignments which
integrate library resources, refine students’ research skills, deepen sustainability
understanding and improve papers and projects.
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The conference was a tremendous success bringing college and university leaders from across
the country to continue the conversation about sustainability in higher education and the
opportunities for ACUPCC in the future. The UMass System was ever present in that
conversation with broad representation from across the system engaged and actively
participating in several key aspects of the conference.
Following the successful conference the Sustainability Committee began discussion around how
to continue to collaborate as a system and elevate the University’s commitment to reducing
carbon emissions. At the conference, it was clear that many campuses that were successful in
continuing to move sustainability efforts forward were those that enacted a Board Policy specific
to sustainability. The goal of such policies reviewed is to reaffirm the University’s commitment
to the central tenets of the ACUPCC, bolster efforts around climate resilience, demonstrate
sustainability as an institutional priority, and set the road map for achieving climate neutrality.
Many colleges, universities, and systems have adopted similar policies and research to date have
utilized the experience of others that have been successful to explore best practices. The
Sustainability Directors and President’s Office have been researching best practices,
sustainability trends, and current reporting requirements in order to make informed decisions
about what policy ideas should be adopted. The Sustainability Committee is preparing the draft
policy for consideration by the Board during the 2015-2016 academic year.
In addition to the efforts of the Sustainability group, the Strategic Energy Committee, which was
created to leverage system-wide volume for energy procurements, share and implement best
practices and develop standard metrics to measure building efficiency and implement energy
reduction strategies. This effort culminated in contracting multiple Solar Net Metering projects
which reduces the cost of power to our campuses and eventually the region. In addition, this
initiative is projected to save millions for the University and created internships at several
companies to support the UMass student experience.
UMass entered into 15 separate solar net excess generation contracts with 10 different solar
developers totaling 50 MW (DC) of new solar capacity in Massachusetts. As of the end of FY14
12 of the 15 projects are operational, totaling 38 MW (DC). When all of these projects are fully
operational they are expected to generate roughly 59 million kWh over the first 12 months and
roughly 1.123 billion kWh over the first 20 years of their life. These solar projects supported by
the University of Massachusetts will help the Massachusetts electric grid avoid 1 a total of 28,532
metric tons of CO2 in the first full year the solar installations are operational. Over the 20 year
NEGC commitment, this will amount to a total of 544,327 metric tons of CO2 offset through
projects supported by UMass.
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As discussed previously the solar developers keep the REC’s and thus the environmental attributes that can be publicly
claimed. UMass through their participation helped to facilitate the creation and financing of these projects and were integral in
these projects coming to fruition.
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The 28,532 metric tons equate to about 10% 2 of the 296,829 3 metric tons of GHG emissions
created by the University of Massachusetts system for the FY2014 time frame.
The following pages have been reported through each of the campuses Sustainability teams to
provide updates on relevant topics, success and efforts that have been undertaken under the
course of the last year. Topics include:
1. Clean Energy
2. Climate Protection
3. Green Building Design and Sustainable Building Operations
4. Sustainable Transportation
5. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
6. Sustainable Food Services
7. Sustainable Water Systems
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The 10% is used only as a reference point for comparison. UMass can’t claim these reductions from their GHG inventory.
3
GHG values are based on the FY14 scope 1 & 2 emissions associated with building energy consumption.
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8. Waste Reduction and Recycling
9. Academic Programming, Research, and Community Engagement (courses, majors,
certificates, masters programs, etc)
10. Public Recognition of Efforts
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Amherst Campus
Robsham Visitor Center Solar Canopy rendering
Center Green Roof
New Hydration Station – WEB Dubois Library
Composite Material
Integrative Learning
Design Building Rendering – Wood
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1. Clean Energy
UMass Amherst (UMA) is making huge strides in developing the on-campus renewable
energy portfolio, offering unique integrative clean energy programs, and advancing
research and development of clean energy technologies.
Solar Projects:
Multiple solar energy projects are currently underway and being constructed or installed
on campus during the summer of 2015. The DOER Clean Energy Grant funded solar
canopy project at the Robsham Memorial Center for Visitors parking lot will be
completed late summer/early fall. This highly visible demonstration project will produce
200 kW of solar energy and will provide cover for campus visitors as well as house three
electric vehicle charging stations. A dashboard displaying the real-time energy
production of the system will be visible in the lobby of the visitor center. UMass
Amherst received a $164,000 grant from DOER to help fund this project and the
remainder of the funds from the reallocation of Alternative Portfolio standard Credit
(APS) revenue, which is generated annually from the Central Heating Co-Generation
Plant (CHP). UMass Amherst will own and operate this solar canopy system that is
providing a prototype for future development of more solar canopies across many campus
parking lots (see next paragraph below). Payback on the project is estimated to be 9-10
years.
UMA is currently selecting solar developer(s) for campus-wide solar electric systems on
parking lot canopies as well as rooftops. The focus of the RFP is to enter into a power
purchase agreement (PPA) with the installer who will install, own, and operate the
systems on campus. The project scope has the potential to install over 1 MW of roofmounted solar and anywhere between 3-5 MW of solar parking lot canopies which will
combine to provide the University $4-7 million dollars in savings over a 20 year contract.
Savings will come from shaving peak energy demand during summer months and locking
in low electricity rates with the provider over 20 years and hedging against increases in
future electricity costs. The campus will also benefit from lower parking lot maintenance
costs and a visible commitment to renewable energy campus-wide.
UMA has contracted at three off-site locations for 4.9 MW of virtual net metering credits
(NMCs). The NMC contracts will represent a cost reduction of over $75,000 on our FY
15 Energy Budget. All projects came online at the beginning of the FY 14 and are
expected to generate to be fully operational for the full fiscal year.
The first solar hot water (solar thermal) project is currently being installed at the Central
Heating Plant. This project is also funded by a mix of a $75,000 DOER Clean Energy
Grant as well as CHP alternative portfolio standard credit revenue. The project will
consist of solar hot water collectors mounted on the tank farm portion of the CHP roof
which will pre-heat make-up water coming from the 250,000 gallon condensate tank.
The water will be pre-heated by the solar energy, which will lower fossil fuel heating
used to create steam for campus buildings.
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Energy Master Plan:
The University of Massachusetts Amherst has completed and published a Comprehensive
Campus Energy Master Plan. This effort developed a plan for the reliable delivery of
energy on campus over the next 10 years and defined and prioritized categories of
projects to achieve the most transformative effect on current and future energy
consumption at the minimum cost and with the highest measure of greenhouse gas
emission reduction. One of the major components of this plan is renewable energy
production, conservation measures, and the understanding of the economics and decisionmaking process for the conservation, purchase, and distribution of energy on campus in
the future.
Academics:
The University of Massachusetts Amherst received a $3.2 million grant from the National
Science Foundation Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT)
program to start an interdisciplinary graduate program in Offshore Wind Energy. The
new graduate program will train 24 doctoral students over the course of five years in the
technology, environmental implications, and social/economic/regulatory challenges of
offshore wind farms. The interdisciplinary program will feature more than 20 faculty
members from nine UMass Amherst departments in the College of Engineering, College
of Natural Sciences, School of Management, and College of Social and Behavioral
Science.
Research:
The University of Massachusetts Amherst has begun conducting a pilot project with the
Holyoke Gas & Electric Co. that will show the utility and its customers how smart
electric meters can save money and power. The data will feed several subprojects already
underway, which include an automated thermostat, a web-based solar predictor, and an
electrical reserve battery. The project is funded by a $200,000 grant from the
Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.
UMA has created the UMass Amherst Energy Extension Initiative that will support
community-scale test-bed projects designed to identify and mitigate financial, social,
political, and technical barriers to wider deployment of energy efficient practices in the
commonwealth. The initiative was funded through a $6 million grant from Patrick
Administration.
2. Climate Protection
Academics:
This fall UMass Amherst will be offer a new graduate certificate in Climate Change,
Hazards and Green Infrastructure. The program offers advanced training in climate
informed municipal planning and regulation, and expertise in the area of what is called
‘green infrastructure’ stormwater management systems, urban heat island reductions, low
fossil fuel transport systems that work with and support natural processes. The
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Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning has developed an expertise
in both distinct fields of climate change and hazards planning and in green infrastructure,
and is unusual in its ability to bring these two highly related but often differentiated areas
of planning and design together. The purpose of this certificate program is to provide
advanced professional knowledge and skill building around planning and design to
address climate change and green infrastructure.
Research:
Since 2011, UMA has led a consortium of seven universities and hosted the Northeast
Climate Science Center through a five-year, $7.5 million federal grant. It is supported by
federal, state, and other agencies providing scientific information, tools, and techniques
that managers and other parties interested in land, water, wildlife
and cultural resources can use to anticipate, monitor, and adapt to climate change.
Researchers Ezra Markowitz at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with Tien
Ming Lee of Columbia University, Anthony Leiserowitz of Yale and others at Utah State
University used data from the largest cross-sectional survey of climate change
perceptions ever conducted to write the Nature Climate Change today report, the first
global assessment of factors underlying climate change awareness and risk perception.
The researchers analyzed data from nationally representative samples of 119 countries
collected for the Gallup World Poll conducted in 2007 and 2008. They say results
indicate that to be most effective, climate-related messages must be tailored to public
awareness and perceptions specific to each nation. They also write that worldwide,
education level is the single strongest predictor of climate change awareness and that
understanding the human causes of climate change is the strongest predictor of risk
perception.
3. Green Building Design and Sustainable Building Operations
Green Building Design:
UMA now has six LEED Gold Certified buildings: George Parks Marching Band
Building, Police Station, CNS Research & Education Greenhouses, Hampshire Dining
Commons, Life Science Laboratories, and the Football Performance Center. The new
Integrated Learning Center and the Champions Center Basketball Facility are targeting
for Gold certification. The Commonwealth Honors College Complex, Paige Laboratory
Renovation, and the Lincoln Campus Center Renovation are targeting LEED Silver
certification. Some notable features now visible on campus include the Integrative
Learning Center’s green roof. This 15,000 sq. ft. ILC roof is planted with hardy native
plants, including many varieties of sedum, which can withstand heat and drought. This
green roof provides an educational opportunity to the campus community, reduces the
Heat Island Effect, creates a pleasing view from surrounding buildings, absorbs CO2,
reduces glare and retains 1,825 cu. ft. of storm water. Additionally, the vegetation will
protect the roof membrane from the elements, including UV light, extending the life
expectancy of the membrane and leading to lower life cycle costs.
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Design Building – Sustainable Material:
The new Design Building, which will house the Building and Construction Technology
programs and the departments of Architecture and Design and Landscape Architecture
and Regional Planning, is now under construction and slated for September/October
completion. This building will feature a glue-laminated wood, cross-laminated timber
(CLT) and wood-concrete composite structure that replaces the common steel/concrete
construction type that is common in the area. This structural system reduces this
building’s carbon footprint and maximizes the use of renewable materials. In its
landscape, the building is slated to feature rainwater-control features like a partial green
roof and bioswales. This innovative, sustainable approach will provide students in the
programs a more advanced space for their research, and provide faculty with a hands-on
environment for teaching sustainable building and sustainable environment. The
Massachusetts Environmental Bond Bill has provided $3 million to support the added
costs of constructing with this innovative wood material.
Energy Efficiency:
A new wave of energy conservation measures is underway at UMA as part of the 2015
E+ Program. Measures include Retrocommissioning (RCx) of multiple buildings
including the Studio Arts Building, Recreation Center, and the Fine Arts Center. RCx and
lighting upgrades at the Central Heating Plant are in progress. Lighting upgrades in the
Campus Center Garage are completed. These LED upgrades have estimated average
payback of 3 years. This years’ E+ program will save the campus annually over
$600,000, 2.4 million kWh of electricity, 18.49 million pounds of steam, and will reduce
over 3,600 MTCO2 emissions.
Master Plan Sustainability Chapter:
The Sustainability Chapter addition to the Campus Master Plan has been completed and
published by a campus-wide, collaboration among students, faculty, and staff. The
committee met throughout the 2014-2015 academic year to develop this new chapter of
the Master Plan that addresses how the campus plans to move forward to advance
sustainability within the physical campus space and facilities. The chapter covers
emissions, landscapes and open space framework, circulation and parking, buildings and
utilities, stormwater, and waste.
Engagement:
One of the primary initiatives of the UMA’s UMass Energy Extension program is to
provide energy analysis and consulting services to municipalities in the Commonwealth,
with the goal of reducing energy demand and increasing the deployment of renewable
energy technologies. This is mainly accomplished through site visits, consultations, and
custom data analysis performed by the sole extension faculty member in the program.
Academics:
UMA offers a Sustainable Building & LEED Certification, which provides understanding
of the LEED rating systems and how the rating system applies to the high-performance
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design and construction of the built environments. Since 2012, more than one hundred
students have been LEED certified by this program.
4. Sustainable Transportation
Public Transportation:
UMass Transit services is a provider of PVTA in the northern tier of Pioneer Valley
region provided over 3 million rides to passengers in FY15, a 15% (400,045) passenger
increase over the previous fiscal year. There are 7 hybrid buses in the 35 bus fleet which
reduce overall fuel consumption by 40%. A normal bus gets 4.5 mpg and the new
hybrids get 7.5 mpg.
Electric Vehicle Charging:
Five new electric car chargers, including the first level three charger in Massachusetts,
are now installed and available for use by Transportation Services at three locations on
campus as part of the effort to achieve the campus’ goal of reaching carbon neutrality by
2050. Level II Chargers are available for public use at the Visitor Center and Campus
Center Garage.
Bike & Car Sharing:
UMA has programs available to the entire campus community aimed at reducing singleoccupancy use vehicles (SOV’s). The Student Government Association in collaboration
with the Physical Plant operates a fleet of 20 bicycles in the UMass Bike Share Program.
Anyone with a UCard can rent these bikes out for free for 24 hours or for weekend-long
durations. The Campus Sustainability Manager is currently serving on the Pioneer
Valley Feasibility Study Advisory Committee to study and procure one of the nation’s
first regional bike share programs which UMA will participate in. This new program will
span four municipalities including Springfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Amherst and the
University campus and will be fully automated and managed by a third party bike share
company. The campus also has ZipCar car sharing program. Cars are available to use in
three locations on campus, Lots 21, 43, and 71. Students, faculty, and staff can join the
program for only $25 per year.
Greening the Campus Fleet:
The campus fleet consists of 485 vehicles. The Fleet Manager in Transportation Services
manages the entire campus fleet and regularly works to reduce the campus fleet, swap out
inefficient vehicles for newer more efficient, alternative fuels if possible, and we are
heading towards an increase in EV fleet on campus based on infrastructure already put in.
Academics:
The University of Massachusetts Amherst offers a Transportation Sustainability course
that covers concepts of sustainable transportation management strategies and policies. It
also covers the life-cycle assessment for transportation infrastructure, vehicle emission
estimation models, alternative fuel vehicles, non-motorized modes, and transit
preferential treatments. This years student projects included on campus electric bikes
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share systems, transportation hubs, and smart phone travel surveys. The course is
supported by the Sustainability Curriculum Initiative Grant from UMass Amherst
Libraries and has allowed a librarian to work with faculty in order to integrate library
resources and information literacy into the course’s curriculum.
5. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
Operations:
UMA last reported expenditures and percentages of environmentally preferable
purchasing data for electronics, cleaning products, and office paper in February 2015 in
the Sustainability, Tracking & Assessment Rating System (STARS) report. In Fiscal
Year 2014, 100% of the total expenditures, over $647,000, on desktop and laptop
computers, displays, thin clients, televisions, and imaging equipment, was either EPEAT
Gold or Silver registered products. EPEAT registered products meet the latest ENERGY
STAR specifications and are designed to be easily recycled. For cleaning products used
by Physical Plant in Administrative and Classroom buildings on campus, 99% of all
products purchased were Green Seal and/or UL Environment (EcoLogo) certified
cleaning and janitorial products ($69,264 out of $70,000). Since the Office Max contract
began and procurement officers have been working with the UMass System procurement
office, recycled content office paper purchasing has increased at UMA. In FY15 between
July 2014 and March 2105, UMA expenditures on paper with recycled content (10%100% content) averaged 36%. This percentage should and could improve because this
means that 64% of all cut sheet paper products (copy paper, colored paper, etc) purchased
was virgin paper products.
Academics:
Students in the Master of Science in Sustainability Science are working on a project that
will add sustainable items to the UMass Amherst Bookstore. Over summer and fall 2015
students will review purchasing data and work with vendors to integrate sustainable
apparel into the bookstore. This will help the bookstore make more sustainable purchases
in the future.
6. Sustainable Food Services
UMass Dinning:
UMass Amherst spent $3.25 million on local and sustainable products in FY15. It has
prioritized the sourcing of product to be local either within Massachusetts (preferred) or
within 250 miles from campus. For non-local it looks to have sustainable food that is 3rd
party verified. Since fall of 2013 UMass Amherst has participated in the Real Food
Challenge, which requires that 20% of the University food and beverage purchases be
local / community-based, fair, ecologically sound and humane by 2020. The university is
working diligently to support Food Solutions New England (FSNE)’s “50 by 60”
campaign to source at least 50% local food by 2060. This initiative supports the New
England region’s broader goal to increase access to clean, fair, just, and affordable food
to all its citizens.
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In FY15 UMA has spent $1.6 million on New England products, a 38% increase from
FY14. 50+ local vendors provide produce for UMA, a 41% increase from FY14. Nearly
100% of the seafood served on campus in FY15 was certified sustainable. 100% of the
eggs used on campus are from local and cage-free animals. UMA has increased its local
poultry meat purchases by 38%. It increased its spend on local diary by $100,000 and
served 100% local milk in the recently renovated Hampshire Dining
Commons. Impressively, year to date, FY15 overall per plate (number of meals served
compared with total food cost) increased only .1% from FY14. In our Hampshire Dining
Commons – UMass Amherst’s testing site for healthy, sustainable, and delicious foods –
the per plate cost actually decreased 3% over the same period.
UMass Amherst Dining Services was selected as a gold recipient for procurement
practices in the 2014 Sustainability Awards given by the National Association of College
and University Food Services (NACUFS). UMass Amherst was one of six schools to
earn “Best Campus Food” honors in the 2015 edition of The Princeton Review, this year
ranking #2. In June 2015, the UMass Dining’s Blue Wall Eatery won Best Concept
Award from Food Management Magazine.
UMass Dining will be releasing a how-to-guide highlighting “best practices” for a
local/sustainable food initiatives in October of 2015. This guide will help higher
education campuses, K-12 schools, and health care facilities, shift to a New England
based or sustainable food system using UMass Amherst as the model.
Academics:
UMA Students in Stockbridge School of Agriculture’s Sustainable Food and Farming
major are prepared for to work in diverse fields such as: growing and marketing real
food, farm-based educational systems, food advocacy, community development and
public policy.
UMA’s Stockbridge School of Agriculture also offers a Sustainable Horticulture
Bachelor of Science degree the is designed to provide students science-based education,
which can be applied in a wide variety of careers in landscape plant production and use of
plant materials in constructed and natural landscapes.
UMA’s UMass Student Farming Enterprise provides seasonal food to a campus
Community Supported Agriculture group, Earthfoods Café in the student union, UMass
Dining Services, two Big Y Supermarkets, and the UMass Student Farmers Market.
7. Sustainable Water Systems
Reclaimed Water Use
UMA recently received a permit from DEP to expand the most significant water
conservation initiative on campus: reclaimed water use. The Central Heating Plant
(CHP) currently utilizes the effluent from the Amherst Waste Water Treatment Plant
(reclaimed water) as boiler make-up water to produce steam for the campus and for the
CHP cooling towers. To increase water conservation, and to maximize the capability of
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the existing Reclaimed Water Treatment Facility (RWTF), the CHP received a Class A
Reclaimed Water Permit from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection to use reclaimed water at the Commonwealth Honors College Residential
Complex cooling towers as well. The Amherst campus currently requires about 340
million gallons of water per year and the RWTF can process approximately 200,000
gallons of reclaimed water per day. Boiler water make-up for steam production utilizes
the full capacity of the RWTF during the heating season. The addition of the cooling
towers at the Commonwealth Honors College will maximize the reclaimed water
capacity during the cooling season. This would result in a potential reduction of potable
water consumption of 73 million gallons of water per year (21%). Expansion of this
program is slated for completion by fall 2015.
Bottle Filling Stations
Water bottle filling stations have been installed across campus housing and almost every
single residence hall now has a new machine. These machines help save millions of
water bottles every year because it incentivizes reusable water usage. In the seven
Commonwealth Honors College residence halls these stations over the past two years
have dispensed over 5.4 million ounces of tap water saving an estimated 455,800 water
bottles. Filling stations have also been installed in student activities buildings, the
library, and classroom buildings.
Research:
In fall of 2014 UMass Amherst Researcher David A. Reckhow, a professor of civil and
environmental engineering, received a $4.1 Million Grant from the U.S. EPA to create a
national center for aimed at assisting small-sized drinking water systems. Under the grant
UMass Amherst Water Innovation Network for Sustainable Small Systems (WINSSS)
will develop and test advanced, low cost methods to reduce, control and eliminate groups
of water contaminants that present challenges to communities across the U.S. and
worldwide.
8. Waste Reduction and Recycling
New2U Reuse Tag Sale:
Student Leadership continues to drive waste reduction and recycling efforts at UMA.
Two exciting student led, Sustainability Fund supported projects are continuing onto the
second year of operation: The New2U Reuse Collection and Tag Sale and the UMass
Minute Riders Program. The New2U Reuse Tag Sale generated $8,000 in revenue and
saved over 5 tons of waste from entering the landfill in the first year of operation.
Sustainable UMass has once again teamed up with Residential Life and the Office of
Waste Management to collect thousands of items during move-out in Southwest
Residential Area and this year expanded into the Orchard Hill Residential Area. The
items are being stored and cleaned during the summer and will be sold back to incoming
students providing new students and families the opportunity to purchase gently used,
discounted school and dorm supplies. Revenue from the tag sale will be returned to the
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Sustainability Fund and will provide new funding for future sustainability projects.
Sustainable UMass continues to be an active member organization of the Post Landfill
Action Network (PLAN) to receive assistance in planning the move-out collection and
tag sale in the fall.
Minute Riders:
The Minute Riders Program is a compost pick-up service providing student-run, bike
powered waste management solutions for green offices who want to compost their food
scraps in their kitchens and break room areas. Minute Riders participating offices
increased from 12 offices in year one to now 30 offices. Students are using a tandem
bike with a trailer to pick-up and haul the compost to central composting areas at the
dining commons. Hundreds of pounds of food scraps are being saved from the landfill
each year, adding to the 1,400 tons of food waste that UMass composts each year.
Green Office Program Update:
The Green Office Program now has 75 certified offices participating on the UMass
Amherst campus. This program aims to alter daily office practices by recruiting Office
Eco-Leader staff members to take a positive leadership role in reducing everyday office
waste and energy consumption through behavior change. Campus Sustainability
Initiative student Fellows trained in the program act as sustainability consultants to these
staff Eco-Leaders by providing resources and in return receive academic credit. This
year the program grew extensively when all of Student Affairs and Campus Life (SACL)
joined onto the program, adding 35 new offices.
Academics /Research:
PhD Student in the Department of Environmental Conservation, Jarred Starr, reviewed
the factors that drive municipal solid waste recycling by reviewing 351 communities in
Massachusetts over the span of 16 years. The results indicate that most programs
variables have little effect on recycling rates. The findings should help municipalities
determine new ways to increase recycling participation.
A team of student researchers are working on two problems relating to UMass Amherst
waste system. One is whether or not it is better use an anaerobic digester or to continue
composting UMass Amherst food waste. The other issue is to determine if it would be
better to implement compost in the dorm halls or just increase the current Single Stream
Waste System. The student research could offer a broader perspective on how UMass
manages its waste.
9. Academic Programming, Research, and Community Engagement (courses, majors,
certificates, masters programs, etc)
Academic Programming:
Sustainability is integrated into the intellectual foundation UMA’s academic programs.
UMass Amherst offers 300 courses, 25 undergraduate majors, 15 graduate programs, and
7 certificates relating to sustainability. Popular majors include: Sustainable Food &
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Farming, Natural Resources Conservation, Sustainable Community Development
(formerly Environmental Design), Environmental Science, Management (Concentration
in Sustainable Business Practices), and Resource Economics (Major track, Environmental
and Natural Resource Economics). Popular graduate programs include: Master of Science
in Sustainability Science, Masters of Regional Planning (MRP), Masters of Landscape
Architecture (MLA), Environmental Conservation (multiple programs), Graduate
Certificate/Concentration in Wind Power Engineering, and Civil and Environmental
Engineering
A hallmark to UMA's academic offerings is the MS Sustainability Science (MS3)
Program. As one of the field’s premiere master’s programs, we offer the unique
educational opportunity to pursue an advanced degree in sustainability that includes
integrated systems-based approaches, cross-disciplinary foundations, and specialized
expertise in one of four concentrations (Environmental Quality, Sustainable Food
Systems and Agriculture, Water Sustainability, or Urban Sustainability). MS3 is entering
its fifth year and has trained over 50 graduate students. It is a highly competitive
program and this year only about 20% of applicants were accepted into the
program. Beyond the educational training, MS3 is also providing an important service to
the Commonwealth and the green workforce. Each year, MS3 students contribute nearly
4000 hours of service through internships to communities, non-profits, businesses, and
research in New England and beyond. MS3 students are highly competitive in the market
place and graduates go on to advise decision-makers, change business practices and
industries, and shape green systems throughout the region.
Students participate in co-curricular activities that engage the campus and surrounding
communities. UMA Eco Reps students can get credit for participating in and managing
on campus initiative such as: the student bike share program, the Resident Hall
sustainability education program, the Green Campus Cookout, and New2U, one of the
region’s largest campus reuse tag sales. UMA Sustainability Fellows are hired as interns
to focus on: Community Development, Green Buildings, Green Games, Green Office
Programs, Media & Marketing, Transportation, and Waste/Recycling.
Research:
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of the nation's top public research
universities as measured by national and international rankings, academic citations, and
research funding. UMA has over 200 faculty from 36 different departments engaged in
sustainability research. UMA continues to be on the forefront of sustainability research
and innovation. UMA is leading a $7.5 million federal grant to address climate change
with a consortium of seven other universities and UMA has been on the cutting edge of
green technology for more than forty years with its Wind Energy Center.
10.
Public Recognition of Efforts
•
•
Princeton Review’s Top 50 Green Colleges - 2015 & Green Honor Roll - 2014
Rated STARS Gold University by the Association for the Advancement of
Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) - 2015, 2014, & 2011
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•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Second Nature Climate Leadership Award -"Doctorate Granting Institution" category,
2014
Sustainability Awards Gold Recipient from NACUFS for UMass Dining Services’
procurement practices - 2014
State Champion in Northeast Business Leaders for Energy Efficiency Recognition
Program by Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) - 2014
MassRecycle University Recycling Award - 2013
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Food Recovery Challenge "Colleges
and Universities" and "Innovation" Awards - 2013
Winner of Gale Cengage Learning Financial Leadership Development Award for
Libraries Sustainability Fund – 2013
Winner of the White House Campus Champions of Change Challenge for UMass
Amherst Permaculture Gardens - 2012
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Boston Campus
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1. Clean Energy
UMass Boston completed its fourth greenhouse gas inventory as part of its ACUPCC
reporting for 2014 The University of Massachusetts system’s energy consultant, CES, is
working with UMass Boston on the design of a new Energy Producing Facility being
planned on the UMass Boston campus as well as exploring renewable energy options.
UMass Boston is working with 3 solar developers contracted at various off-site locations
for 10 MW of virtual net metering credits (NMCs). The NMC contracts will represent a
cost reduction of over $500 Thousand/annum when they are fully operational. Upwards
of 4 MW are expected to come online during FY15.
UMass Boston installed its first solar photo-voltaic installation on the roof of the
Wheatley building, a 74 kW capacity installation with 350 panels, which was connected
to the grid in late 2011. It was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
of 2009 (ARRA) through agreements with DCAMM and DOER. A real-time readout in
Wheatley lobby informs viewers of the energy generated and is the campus’s first
renewable energy installation.
http://www.umb.edu/in_the_community/sustainability/green_operations/energy_conserva
tion_renewables.
UMass Boston Wheatley solar PV installation was featured in the City of Boston’s
Greenovate site as part of Boston’s Solar Map.
UMass Boston sustainability staff and faculty as well as CES attended the Green Ribbon
Commission Clean Power Purchasing Network Conference held at Boston University
April 2015.
About 25 members, including ACUPCC members from UMass Amherst, Boston, Lowell
and Dartmouth and from upstate NY, CT, other MA area campuses etc. attended the
“Ramping Up Renewables” workshop hosted by Second Nature in Boston to explore and
provide expertise in PPAs and other renewable energy purchasing.
UMass Boston first Master Planning Sustainability Advisory Committee (MaPSAC)
met in Nov 2014. MaPSAC’s purpose is to “suggest best practices and facilitate
implementation with regard to overall sustainability on campus, with a particular focus
on achieving UMass Boston commitments under the American College and University
Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), the UMass Boston Climate Action Plan,
and Massachusetts Executive Orders 484 and 515”. MaPSAC is officially charged by
School for the Environment Dean Robyn Hannigan with an initial focus is updating and
revising the UMB Climate Action Plan by identifying specific actions needed to achieve
its greenhouse gas reduction goals, along with cost estimates and timing requirements for
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these actions. There are currently 13 members, co-chaired by a faculty member and A&F
Campus Planning office representative.
The Center for Governance and Sustainability is working on sustainable energy solutions
with a focus in the Horn of Africa. Collaborating with Addis Ababa University, the
Center is a partner on a successful grant from USAID on Powering Agriculture: An
Energy Grand Challenge for Development. The project will improve coffee production
and quality by using innovative infrared technology.
2. Climate Protection
UMass Boston is engaged in the field of climate resilience, an important issue for the
harbor campus and for Boston in general and UMass Boston faculty are building capacity
and expertise in this field.
Climate Resilience Center
UMass Boston, in collaboration with higher education institutions across the state and
globe, serves as a partner with the City of Boston and the Commonwealth on assessing
climate preparedness, developing and enabling adaptation plans for critical infrastructure,
and supporting resilience of natural and human resources. This large effort encompasses
all units on campus and engages students and faculty in applying their knowledge to
address the most pressing challenges of our time. In collaboration with the Green Ribbon
Commission, Massport, MassDOT, National Park Service, and other key government
agencies and non-profits the UMass Boston Climate Resilience Center will not only
inform planning for climate change for municipalities but will also work to ensure that
the UMass campuses are leaders in innovation in climate adaptation through pilot
projects and public-private partnerships.
Green Ribbon Commission Higher Ed Working Group
UMass Boston is a member of Higher Education Working Group (comprised of Harvard
University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Northeastern University, Boston
University and UMass Boston, and now expanded to include Tufts University, Boston
College, Emerson and the BAC) at the Green Ribbon Commission, where Boston’s
leading business, civic, and institutional leaders share best practices, fight climate
change, and support the City of Boston’s climate plan. The UMass Boston Urban Harbors
Institute and the School for the Environment were formally introduced to the Green
Ribbon Commission in Fall 2014 and collaborated with its Higher Ed Working Group for
a leadership role in climate preparedness and resilience Initiatives in Boston and the with
the State of Massachusetts.
In January 2015, speakers from the Urban Harbors Institute, and UMass Boston office of
Campus Planning as well as Office of Emergency Preparedness participated in a Climate
26
Resilience Forum hosted by the Green Ribbon Commission along with speakers from
Boston University, Harvard University and the Boston Architectural College.
Regional Mayor’s Climate Preparedness Summit, Community Engagement Forums
In May 2015, UMass Boston campus hosted the Regional Mayor’s Climate Preparedness
Summit. Boston Mayor Martin Walsh was joined by more than a dozen Greater Boston
mayors to formalize a commitment to climate preparedness and resilience. As reported in
campus media, the summit was a first-of-its-kind convening on regional climate
preparedness, establishing a mechanism for coordination of regional, cross-government
action going forward. It was hosted by the City of Boston and the Metropolitan Area
Planning Council’s Metro Mayors Coalition. Jack Wiggin, director of UMass Boston’s
Urban Harbors Institute and the new master’s program in urban planning and community
development, said in his remarks that projections show if climate change effects are not
mitigated, what is UMass Boston could be an island in 2100. The summit concluded with
a dozen Greater Boston mayors signing the "Metro Boston Climate Preparedness
Commitment," a regional agreement to establish a common policy framework throughout
the Metro Boston area to prepare for climate change. The mayors pledged to work
together to address critical regional infrastructure and systems and develop best practices.
A Metro Boston Climate Preparedness Task Force will also be meeting every two
months, coordinating regional, cross-government action to prepare for the effects of
climate change such as rising sea levels, storm surges, and other weather events
UMass Boston faculty, students, and staff are heavily engaged in researching, preparing
for, and battling climate change. In March 2015, the School for the Environment cosponsored an event at the Climate Change Resiliency Forum at the State House. The
College of Management is developing financial mechanisms to fund climate change
adaptations, the Urban Harbors Institute is assisting communities to prepare harbor
waterfront plans, and the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management is working
with cities and towns on their climate change plans.
Sustainable Seafood Collaboratory
UMass Boston, in collaboration with sister campuses UMass Amherst and UMass
Dartmouth, and our New England Aquarium established, with seed funding from the
UMass President’s Science and Technology Fund the “Sustainable Seafood
Collaboratory”. This collaborative research and educational effort will evaluate the
impact of climate change on seafood resources and explore how seafood production
through aquaculture and restoration of shellfish reefs can help protect our coasts and
mitigate the impacts of climate change not only on our coastal marine resources but our
human communities. The collaboratory serves as a critical partner to shell fishers and fin
fishers as well through strategic partnerships for research and education in Wellfleet,
Duxbury, and Gloucester.
Center for Sustainable Enterprise and Regional Competitiveness (SERC)
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SERC organized several sustainability related events for students and local community
which attracted a large number of students, alumni, faculty and local companies as
highlighted in their newsletters in the Academic Section, for more details
at www.umb.edu/serc.In the Fall 2015 semester Austin Blackmon, City of Boston Chief
of Environment, Energy and Open Space (Oct. 22nd) is scheduled to speak to the College
of Management students on climate adaptation and preparedness.
The Center for Governance and Sustainability
This Center undertakes rigorous research on climate change. Wondwossen
Wondemagegnehu is working on a doctoral dissertation analyzing the operational
mechanisms of science-policy interfaces for climate adaptation policy in Ethiopia. He
received a prestigious 3-year research fellowship from the International Livestock
Research Institute (awarded only to two recipients globally). The Global Leadership
Dialogues published by the Center offer insights into the professional work and personal
experience of notable leaders in the global governance field. The series features a
thought-provoking interview with Christiana Figueres, the Executive Secretary of the UN
Framework Convention on Climate
Change. http://environmentalgovernance.org/publications/globalleadershipdialogues/
3. Green Building Design and Sustainable Building Operations
On April 1, 2015, state and university officials celebrated the Ribbon Cutting for the
Integrated Sciences Complex (ISC), the first new academic building on the University
of Massachusetts Boston campus in nearly 40 years and the first new facility in the
University of Massachusetts Boston 25-year Master Plan. Designed by Boston-based
architectural firm Goody-Clancy, the ISC provides 220,000 gross square feet of space
featuring: research lab and support space for biology, chemistry, environmental sciences,
physics, and psychology; undergraduate introductory biology teaching laboratories; an
interdisciplinary undergraduate sandbox teaching lab; an infant cognition lab; two new
research centers—the Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy and the Developmental
Sciences Research Center; exhibition space; conference rooms; and food service and
lounge space.
As the first building on campus to seeking a U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification the building encompasses
a variety of sustainable features including 26% energy savings over baselines, high
efficiency energy recovery program, solar hot water systems, water efficient landscaping
and low flow fixtures, recycled content materials and a number of design innovations
including energy recovery, transportation options, composting, green informational
dashboard, state of the art indoor air quality, daylighting and cool roofs, certified wood
and more.
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The UMass Boston ISC was selected as host site for the Second Nature’s ACUPCC
Presidential Summit on Climate Leadership Green Campus Tour Oct 1, 2014. featured in
the UMass Boston Campus Constructions newsletter : ISC Extends Sustainability
Commitment
www.umb.edu/editor_uploads/images/news/BuildingConnectionsConstructionNewsletter
Spring2015.pdf
The second campus green building seeking LEED Silver certification or higher is the
General Academic Building No. 1, is well on its way to completion.
4. Sustainable Transportation
UMass Boston new Emergency Ride Home Program made its debut with UMass Human
Resources in Fall of 2014, whereby as part of a program offered by Massrides, if an
unexpected emergency arises participants can take a taxi, transit, rental car or get a ride
from a co-worker in the event of an emergency, submit a reimbursement request
afterwards, and can avail this up to 4 times a year.
UMass NuRide rideshare program and ZIPCAR cars-on demand programs are available
on campus and increasingly used, while the free eco-friendly campus shuttle bus fleet that
carries close to half the campus community form the nearest JFK T station to the
campus. A variety of green transit options can be found here:
http://www.umb.edu/in_the_community/sustainability/green_transit
Since 2012, UMass Boston joined the bike sharing program HUBWAY leading to the
expansion of green transit options available at UMass Boston. This also expands the
network of Hubway stations beyond institutions in the downtown Boston-Cambridge area
and allows UMB and the community to share bike along the beautiful Columbia Point
Harborwalk. UMass Boston has a 19-dock solar-powered Hubway station UMass Boston
with an additional kiosk at the JFK/UMass train station.
UMass Boston division of Marine Operations supports marine environmental research,
educational and recreational activities of faculty, staff, students and the community with
sailing and kayaking courses, research vessels, educational and charter cruises to the
nearby picturesque Boston harbor islands and has a full service boat shop.
5. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
UMass Boston has a broad commitment to environmental preferable purchasing as
highlighted in the other subsections of this report.
As part of its commitment to sustainable purchasing, and EO 515, the campus regularly
purchases 30% or higher recycling content paper, recycled content deskside recycling
bins, eco-friendly food service products, eco-friendly interiors choices in its new
construction, bookstore and food service offering, both Fair Trade and cruelty-free
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personal products. The campus also has a green cleaning program in place and uses ecofriendly cleaners.
The UMB Campus Bookstore participated in the Better World Books Donation Program,
where students are able to donate their textbooks that have a zero buyback value.
6. Sustainable Food Services
Campus Dining offers a variety of local, vegetarian, and international offerings. It also
hosts Global Chef culinary events and campus users can even order a special Earth Day
menu and works with local vendors and farms for baked goods, meats, cheeses and fruit.
UMB Dining services uses 100% Cage-Free shelled eggs and has made efforts to educate
its leadership and team on local and sustainable seafood choices via educational
workshops, such as Red Best Seafood.
UMass Boston’s kitchens and dining service use biodegradable and compostable bags.
The campus is a leader in its zero-waste dining program. They have purchased floor
scrubbers that uses less water than traditional mopping Organics composting began at
UMass Boston in the late 1990s and has grown to become a comprehensive zero-waste
program over the years.
Organic and fair trade coffees are now widely available all over campus.
UMass Boston has a reusable cup discount program at all dining cafes on campus.
UMass Boston also hosts Campus Kitchens, which participates in food recycling, hunger
relief, and nutritional information programs. Recently, there has been an expansion of
Campus Kitchens space allocation to allow for greater capacity and more meals served.
Student government at UMass Boston passed a resolution in February 2012 to limit the
use of disposable bottles. Since 2012, hydration stations on campus have saved more than
400,000 bottles from reaching the landfill.
UMass Boston’s Fall Farmers Market will be returning in partnership with its Dining
Services in September 2015 and Marshall’s Farm, Gloucester, Massachusetts
7. Sustainable Water Systems/Landscaping
The HarborWalk Project
A newly constructed section of the HarborWalk, between the JFK Library and Museum
and Harbor Point Apartments, was opened to the public. A formal dedication of the new
section is scheduled for September 2015. The 800-foot stretch of shoreline on the north
side of the UMass Boston campus features a paved walkway, benches, lighting, gathering
30
spaces, bike racks and an area to display artwork. Signs with historical narratives will be
installed later this summer. The construction project, which began last summer, placed
3,200 tons (6.4 million pounds) of stone along the shoreline to stabilize it, before adding
the walkway and other amenities. A significant amount of granite blocks unearthed from
the Big Dig was donated by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
•
Areas along the section of the HarborWalk have been seeded with grass and native
plants. The public is asked to refrain from using these areas until the vegetation has
taken root.
•
All trees and bushes are drought resistant and will not need to be watered after initial
planting.
•
About half of the grass being planted in the hilly area (closer to the DCR and lot D
side) is meadow grass seeds. This area will not need to be mown, except once a year.
Meadow is also a feature at the ISC.
•
The rest of the grass near the site furniture (benches and scored concrete areas) is
grass that needs to be mown regularly, but does not require watering.
•
The newly installed rip rap will significantly improve resiliency of the shoreline
during storm events.
The UCRR Project
On a larger scale, the university is engaged in the Utility Corridor and Roadway
Relocation (UCRR) project. The UCRR is a key transformative project under way in the
university’s 25-Year Master Plan. The UMass Building Authority has hired BVH
Integrated Services Inc. to design the utility corridor. In order to create a reliable and
redundant utility loop, the project includes an underground utility corridor, rerouted
campus roads, and a multitude of site and landscape improvements including a new
roadway and pedestrian system, improve overall traffic circulation and pedestrian
connections and a storm water management plan.
The UCRR project incorporates many sustainable features including:
•
•
•
•
•
Over three miles of bicycle lanes along the new roadways of the Harbor walk
Over 100 bicycle racks across campus.
Support the infrastructure of new buildings such as the Integrated Sciences Complex
(ISC) and General Academic Building (GAB1) which are seeking LEED Silver
certification.
Extensive tree plantings.
Create a campus-wide storm water management system with planted bio-retention
areas to reduce runoff and pollution into Boston Harbor
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8. Waste Reduction and Recycling
As a commuter campus, UMass Boston has one the earliest leading zero-waste cafeterias
offering compostable foodware since 2004, composting more than 200,000 lbs. of food
prep and post-consumer food, greenhouse and dinnerware waste per year. UMass Boston
Dining Club is another more upscale venue offering a zero-waste, washable dishware and
cutlery for faculty, graduate students, visitors etc.
UMass Boston recycles more than 700,000 lbs. of paper, cardboard, bottles and cans,
pallets, bulk recycling, e-waste, toner and ink jet cartridges and pre- and post-consumer
compost
a
year.
Hydration stations were installed to support a student resolution to minimize plastic bottle
waste, available in most campus buildings and have saved more than 400,000 bottles/year
from reaching the landfills.
UMass Boston is the one of the Boston’s designated drop off point for Hazardous and
Household waste recycling for Boston residents.
Campus e-waste program “Don’t just Recycle – E-cycle!” has recycled more than 1500
lbs. of e-waste and small office electronic recyclables since 2005.
Campus Kitchens, a national Food Leftover Harvesting and distribution program works
with Campus Dining to avoid food waste and avoid hunger in economicallycompromised students.
UMB Campus dining offers a reusable cup discount at all cafe venues on campus,
encouraging re-use and reduce the use of disposables.
The UMB sustainability office along with the School for the Environment and College of
Management helped collaborate on a NOAA-SFE Grant for marine plastic debris
pollution reduction.
UMass Boston bookstore vendor has a made number of pre-consumer sustainable
operations commitments including using post-consumer recycled materials, energy
conservation etc., while the bookstore features many Fair Trade, Recycled content
supplies, cruelty-free products and book donation programs.
9. Academic Programming, Research, and Community Engagement (courses,
majors, certificates, masters programs, etc.)
UMass Boston has many outstanding faculty and programs in The UMass Boston School
for the Environment, formerly known as the Environmental, Earth, and Ocean Sciences
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Department is UMass Boston’s premier interdisciplinary environmental school. SFE
integrates the natural and social sciences to generate and apply new knowledge about the
quality of our environment. Additionally, departments include GIS, Clean Energy, Green
Chemistry, Sustainable Management, Center for Sustainable Enterprise and Regional
Competitiveness (SERC), Urban Harbors Institute, Biology, Living Labs and
Biomimicry, Environmental Economics, Coastal, Harbors and Oceans, Center for
Governance and Sustainability - offer a wide variety of degrees, immersions, outreach
and expertise in sustainability and environmental academic programming. It is estimated
that at least 25% percent of students at UMass Boston have taken a sustainability-related
course, some of which are highlighted below
Center for Sustainable Enterprise and Regional Competitiveness (SERC)
SERC promotes engagement by students in sustainability research as part of its mission.
A notable achievement last year was the presentation of student-led research at several
conferences. Clean Energy and Sustainability Certificate (CES) alum Mark Gallo 7 and
his faculty advisor Prof. Vesela Veleva presented Mark’s independent study research on
tidal energy at the National Council for Science and Environment annual conference in
Washington D.C. in January 2015.
Original student research on advancing UMass Boston campus sustainability (part of
course work in MGT481 Introduction to Environmental Management and Clean Energy)
was presented at the 5th Sustainable Communities/4th Sustainable Campuses Conference
in Devens, MA, on April 16, 2015. Several of their PhD students are engaged in
sustainability-related research.
Chris Whynacht won an award for Best Student Paper from the Administrative Sciences
Association of Canada, International Business division, and he presented the paper at the
ASAC June conference. The paper is titled The Ecological Embeddedness of Global
Production Networks. Tom Bejarano, another PhD student, is presenting his work on the
development of clean tech clusters, with his supervisor Stephan Manning, at several
summer conferences, including the Academy of Management, the Academy of
International Business, and EURAM.
As part of SERC mission to advance collaboration with industry, it launched the SERC company named Fellowship in Clean Energy and Sustainability in summer 2014. Last
year's Fellow, Sandeep Gummadi, Master's Student in Finance at CM, successfully
completed the research on "Developing a process of End of Life Management of Biotech
R&D Equipment" which will be presented at the upcoming Global Cleaner Production
and Sustainable Consumption Conference in Barcelona, Spain, November 1-4, 2015.
SERC publishes a newsletter that highlights its many achievements.
Spring 2015 and Fall 2014 newsletters:
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•
•
https://www.umb.edu/editor_uploads/images/college_management/SERC_newsletter
_Spring_2015-May.pdf?cachebuster:36
newsletterhttp://cdn.umb.edu/images/college_management/SERC_newsletter_Fall_20
14-FINAL_12-15-2014.pdf
Honors College Sustainability Courses
Fall 2014
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Biomimicry – a course that studies nature’s best ideas and then imitates these designs
and processes to solve human problems. Students designed a floating classroom using
sustainability principles they learned by studying the ecosystem in Savin Hill Cove
next to UMass Boston. Some notable quotations from students about the project and
the poster that a student designed for the final class presentations.
“This project is certainly a foundation in which multiple disciplines can take part.
Though the amount of research and conceptual analysis was, at times, overwhelming;
I know that this project was pioneering and will be the at the forefront of new and
innovative technological research and applications at UMB. To be one of the pillars
for a potential new biomimicry and biotech research is humbling.”
“Creating a floating classroom means providing the possibility of a greener, more
educated future; UMB students will have the incredible opportunity for hands on
experience, truly setting UMass Boston from the rest.”
“This class is a revolution in the way we shape our education, and learn about our
relation with the nature. Nature is not about going camping, its about bringing the
camping home.”
“This class project and process meant caring for something besides myself, how can
you love yourself without the rest of the planet and people; and vice versa”
•
Understanding the Environment: Measuring, Analyzing, and Gaining Deep
Insights
Students learned how to conduct quantitative analysis through the examination of
measurements that scientists use to interpret fluctuations in the environment. In the
process, they studied such environmental topics as climate change, water resource
management, energy consumption, waste and pollution.
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Sustainability: Is it Still Possible
A junior-level course in which students were asked to research and explore the
following issues—the critical conditions of declining water supply, global warming,
and diminishing energy resources. Students focused on human, social, and economic
systems as they conducted their research. They were also required to explore some
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aspect of sustainability on the UMass Boston campus, report on its status, and suggest
possible actions that could be taken.
Spring 2015
•
Investigating Environmental Changes over a Variety of Scales: Geospatial
Analysis and the Modeling of the Environment
This course focuses on global environmental change and the impact of human activity
spatially across the Earth’s ecosystems. Students learn how geospatial data (both field
data and remotely-sensed data across large spatial areas) are being used to monitor
and model current changes and predict change under future environmental scenarios.
They discuss changes to the atmosphere, land, oceans, and the cryosphere (the frozen
and snow-covered ecosystems).
Center for Governance and Sustainability
In 2014, the center launched a groundbreaking research project assessing the
implementation of global environmental conventions. The initiative evaluates the
implementation of 10 global environmental conventions and compares performance
across countries and across conventions. It will produce an Environmental Conventions
Index.
Professor Maria Ivanova, co-director of the Center for Governance and Sustainability,
has engaged in high-level sustainability discussions at the United Nations. At the
invitation of the President of the UN Economic and Social Council, she presented at the
High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. A member of the UN
Secretary-General’s Scientific Advisory Board (one of 26 scholars worldwide), she has
created many opportunities for students to participate in UN-related research projects and
discussions with policymakers.
In collaboration with the Horn of Africa Regional Environment Centre and Network
(HoA-REC&N) at Addis Ababa University, the Center was among the winning teams in
the Global Resilience Partnership Challenge current students are engaged in research
through. This competitive grant is a multi-phase design challenge administered by the
Rockefeller Foundation, USAID, and the Swedish International Development Agency
(SIDA). The team’s project, “Integrated Landscape Management for Resilience in the
Horn of Africa,” will study the root causes and build capacity in communities to address
a wide set of inherently connected challenges in the field of land, water, energy and
biodiversity.
A research team from the UMass Boston Center for Governance and Sustainability
traveled to Bern, Switzerland twice in 2014 to present its research on environmental
conventions at the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment. The Environmental
Conventions Initiative is supported by the Swiss government.
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Student Clubs And Activities
UMass Boston’s offers a number sustainability internships with the sustainability office,
College of Managements SERC program, professional Greek organizations such a Sigma
Gamma Epsilon, on campus environmental groups including Net Impact, Fair Trade Club
as well as Food harvesting and food waste reduction organizations like Campus Kitchens,
MASSPIRG, and individual student efforts and academic “for-credit” internships as well
as Earth Weeks 2015.
The mission of Net Impact is to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power
of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.
To fulfill this mission, Net Impact will remain committed to providing its members with
an array of opportunities that will 1) empower undergraduate students to use their skills
to positively impact their surroundings, 2) help them put their beliefs into action through
sustainability efforts, and 3) enlarge their professional network with other like-minded
individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to corporate social responsibility.
Net Impact in particular held an event where they hosted organic farm products and gave
out information on locally sourced organic and sustainable farming methods. They also
participated in the 2015 UMass Boston Earth Weeks fest with a UMass Boston Food Fest
celebrated food, music and success of sustainable food at UMass Boston and its
surrounding communities.
The UMass Boston Fair Trade Club provides information about the fair trade
movement and products. They hold events where students can sample fair trade foods and
become a more educated consumer.
UMass Boston Society for Women Engineers with support of IEEE, Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers hosted a electric bike workshop. The workshop was
set up with two main goals in mind, (1) to show students how to take an idea and make a
project proposal all the way to a finish product; and (2) to show student how easy it is to
take an idea (wanting a motor bike) and keeping it green with simple adaptations of
current technologies. Ilan Levin, M.S. from Tufts, currently working as an engineer for
BBN, ran the electric bike workshop. Students learnt the process starting with
preliminary research and choosing an appropriate budget through testing down to
enjoying the final product. After the lecture and technical discussions, everyone got a
chance to ride the bike and get excited about creating new things, they even had the
campus public safety staff give it a spin.
4th Annual Green Careers Forum
The Office of Career Services and Internships partnered with the Center for Sustainable
Enterprise and Regional Competitiveness to present the 4th annual Green Careers Forum,
on April 15, 2015 as part of Earth Weeks 2015. This annual event is designed to expose
students to potential green careers, allow them to learn about industry trends to help them
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better prepare to meet the demands of a clean energy economy. The 2015 Green Careers
Forum hosted Alicia Barton, Chief Executive Officer of the MA Clean Energy Center as
Keynote Speaker.
Travel Abroad Service Learning Projects: Office Of Student Leadership
Beacon Voyages for Service (BVS) is a program within the Office of Student Leadership
and Community Engagement that coordinates Alternative Break programs. These trips
give students the opportunity to take part in service trips all over the country and the
world to volunteer alongside local organizations.
The trips that took place last year that focused on sustainability were:
Renewable Energy – New York, New York : Students volunteered with GRID
Alternatives which is a nonprofit organization that brings the benefits of solar
technology to communities that would not otherwise have access, providing
needed savings for families, preparing workers for jobs in the fast-growing solar
industry, and helping clean our environment.
Farming and Sustainability – Las Marias, Puerto Rico: Students volunteered with
Plenitud, an educational farm and learning center that focuses on the research,
demonstration and dissemination of sustainable practices for today’s rural and
urban environment. They offer programs of permaculture practices such as agroforestry, rain water harvesting, urban food production, animal husbandry, food
processing and food security.
Women Empowerment – Xela, Guatemala: Students had the opportunity to help
empower women and their families who live in poverty by volunteering on
projects that range from construction of ventilation systems, building stoves in
women’s homes and leading/participating in workshops that will enable women in
situations of vulnerability to start their own entrepreneurial initiatives.
OTHER ENGAGEMENTS:
UMass A&F departments and faculty participated in Green Labs Symposium, Renewable
Energy and Green Power Purchasing Conferences, presented at Climate Preparedness
seminars, Earth Day 2015, Green Careers forum 2015, provided input in the 2015 City of
Boston Climate Action Plan, Go Boston 2030 transportation Envisioning Lab and similar
sustainability fora.
COMMUNITY HAZARDOUS WASTE DROP-OFF: CITY OF BOSTON
RECYCLING
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UMass Boston is the one of the Boston’s designated drop off point for Hazardous and
Household waste recycling for Boston residents, part of the City of Boston Recycling
Program.
10. Public Recognition of Efforts
•
2015 PRINCETON GREEN COLLEGES RATING
UMass Boston was chosen by Princeton Review as one of the 353 most
environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S. and Canada, according to The
Princeton Review in 2015. UMass Boston was also recognized by Princeton Review
in 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 as one of the country’s leading green campuses.
•
2015 ECO-AWARD BY MASSDOT
UMass Boston was awarded for Leadership in the Excellence in Commuter Options
(ECO) Leadership Award in 2015 by the Massachusetts Department of
Transportation. It also earned this recognition from 2014, 2013, 2012 and 2011.
•
HOST: ISC TOUR ACUPCC 2014 PRESIDENTIAL SUMMIT ON CLIMATE
LEADERSHIP
The UMass Boston Integrated Sciences complex (ISC) was selected as host site for
the Second Nature’s ACUPCC Presidential Summit on Climate Leadership Green
Campus Tour Oct 1, 2014. This was organized over several months with the UMass
President’s office, UMass Boston Chancellor’s office, A&F, Campus Services,
Sustainability office, Procurement, Campus Center, Master Planning, Construction
Communication, EHS, Marine Operations, Food Services, Bookstore, the Urban
Harbors Institute and faculty from School for the Environment, Biology, Economics
and more. A group of 25 high level ACUPCC participants from all over the country
including Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania toured the ISC seeking LEED Silver
certification after a talk from the architect from Goody Clancy. The group also toured
the Campus Center which opened in 2004 and was featured in the NESEA Green
Buildings Tour. The tour concluded with a marine environmental speaker showcase
highlighting the campus’ engagement around Boston Harbor and showcasing the
campus engagement in the field of climate resilience. UMass Boston provided
transportation from the conference to the campus and refreshments to the guests. The
campus leadership welcomed the guests and integrated operational staff and faculty
members into the tour to discuss their research and/or related campus sustainability
projects.
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Morrissey Boulevard was chosen as a finalist in the 2015 Living with Water
competition: http://www.archdaily.com/768685/bsa-announces-boston-living-withwater-winners. A number of UMass Boston staff and faculty and students also
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submitted entries for this visionary competition held to support Boston’s Climate
Action Plan and mitigation ideas.
•
UMass Boston student Nicole Hamilton, undergraduate student and former Net
Impact president (she graduated in December 2014) won an award for best paper for
her honors thesis in the field of sustainability. The paper, "The Upside and Downside
Risk of Corporate Social Responsibility," won Best Paper Award for the sixth volume
of the UBER Journal.
•
UMass Boston student Chris Whynacht, a first year PhD student, College of
Management, won an award from the Organizations and Natural Environment
division for Best Student Paper from the Administrative Sciences Association of
Canada (ASAC), International Business division, and he presented the paper at the
ASAC June conference.
•
Professor Maria Ivanova (first from left in pic below) co-director of the Center
for Governance and Sustainability was selected as one of 32 inaugural Andrew
Carnegie Fellows, with a project titled “United Nations at a crossroads: collection of
conventions or mechanism for planetary stewardship.” The New York Times,
Washington Post, and Chronicle of Higher Education ran full-page ads about the
cohort of fellows.
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College of Management Professors and co-directors of SERC Drs. David Levy
and Vesela Veleva have been invited to serve on the Scientific Committee of the
2016 SCORAI Conference (Sustainable Consumption Research and Action Initiative)
which will be held in Orono, Maine in June 2016.
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Professor Anamarija Frankic, Director Green Harbors Project Green Boston
Harbor Project, Center for Governance and Sustainability was elected on the AASHE
(Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) Advisory
Council through Dec 2016.
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Dartmouth Campus
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The Dartmouth campus focuses our efforts into four areas of sustainability: Academics, research,
operations and student engagement. As leaders within out community we are aware that we need
to both prepare the next generation of decision makers with the tools on how to make our society
more sustainable, and we also need to insure that we are operating our campus in a way that
models that for them.
1. Clean Energy
The campus completed the first two phases of steam line replacements, which is going to
help reduce the volume of steam needed to heat and cool the campus as well as conserve
water as all of the condensate can be returned to circulate through the system again. Both
the East Residence Halls and the DION / Science and Engineering building supply and
return lines were replaced. We experienced several challenges with getting our cogeneration plant working consistently, which finally happened in the latter part of the
year. We are just now getting an idea of how much this will affect both our budget and
GHG emissions, though the initial numbers look favorable.
The wind turbine was operational for some of the year and has produced 5 million megawatt hours of electricity to date, which is no small amount. DCAM has officially taken
ownership of the unit and changed the service company to reflect the increased need for
service for this particular model. It currently needs to have several seals replaced and is
likely to be back online in October.
The 269 kW solar photo-voltaic arrays on campus continue to operate well. We have had
not appreciable down time with them, even with this winter’s increased snow amount.
We have also started conversations with a solar developer to consider building solar
carports over our parking lots in a land-lease arrangement, while purchasing some of our
power from them. This would allow us to support additional green power going into the
grid without surpassing the net-metering caps currently in place in our grid area.
The University has contracted at TWO off-site locations for 8.4 MW of virtual net
metering credits (NMCs). The NMC contracts will represent a cost reduction of over
$450 Thousand on our FY 15 Energy Budget. During FY 14, an electrical energy cost
reduction of $143,000 was realized to the FY 14 Energy Budget with the NMC contracts.
All projects are expected to be live for the entirety of FY15.
2. Climate Protection
The Dartmouth campus has close to 400 acres held in forest, wetlands and open space.
We have intentionally left this space for these purposes and concentrated our building
into a 300-acre footprint. Doing so allows us to be surrounded by a natural buffer that
filters noise, air and water from both coming out as well as coming into the campus.
3. Green Building Design and Sustainable Building Operations
Two of the new building projects which are on the drawing boards (SMAST II and iSEB)
are aggressively looking at sustainable features. Both design teams are working in
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partnership with DCAM to improve the initial building envelopes and operating systems
to reduce as much as possible the operating costs of these facilities and their GHG’s.
While DCAM has not committed to a “Zero Net Energy” standard, they have come quite
a way in their building standards to be either high performance or zero net energy ready.
The Dartmouth campus has also been purchasing green cleaning products that are used
by our custodial team for more than 5 years. These were initially used in our housing
operations, then later adopted by our academic team as well. Members of our Facilities
and Purchasing teams are working with the Procurement Council to share these lessons
throughout the entire system and bid out the necessary supplies as a system wide
contract.
4. Sustainable Transportation
The Dartmouth campus has expanded it’s use of shuttle vans to assist in moving students,
faculty and staff around campus and into the local community. This has included adding
daily bus service this year to Boston and weekend access to New York City.
We have also added bike racks at every entrance to campus buildings as well as racks to
hold longboards at 4 strategic locations in our academic core of campus. We have seen an
increase in the use of bikes on campus as a result of the additional racks and look forward
to a similar participation rate for the longboards as well.
The campus also has a ZIP car program that has expanded from two cars on campus to
now three due to an increase in demand. The typical membership fee is waived for all
members of campus that leaves users with only the cost of usage, which is one benefit
that is driving us demand and usage.
5. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
The Dartmouth campus has spearheaded the purchasing of green cleaning products on
campus and is sharing that through the Procurement Council with the other campuses in
the system. We did the same with our printing services contract (currently held by Xerox)
to bring multi-function devices throughout the system as significant discounts. We will
be conduction a second round of analysis and consolidation and improvement of services
in the near future as well.
Our improvement of purchasing greater quantities of recycled content paper has had
some success. The new chief IT officer agreed to have all of our computer labs purchase
30% recycled paper. The Office Campus Sustainability and Residential Initiatives will be
working to create a campus-wide policy that will help to require offices to purchase paper
that is at minimum 30% recycled, if not 100% recycled. There are also tree free papers
available that are made from either sugar cane stalks or wheat stalks as well. While the
price points for those products are a little higher at this point, with usage reductions
(required duplexing & other reduction strategies) offices may not even see a difference in
their costs.
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6. Sustainable Food Services
The relationship that the Dartmouth campus has with Chartwells is one that was based in
sustainability and continues throughout their contract here. They have continued their
commitment to diverting pre-production food waste to a local chicken farmer. They also
participate in the “Project Clean Plate” program to measure food waste so that students
can change their behaviors and take less food. This is also supported through the lack of
trays in our main dining hall as well.
They have continued to purchase products both sustainably and locally, including coffee
from a local, organic coffee roaster, bagels from a local bagel shop, produce from other
specialty products from a local food supply company as well as locally sourced seafood.
7. Sustainable Water Systems
The steam line replacement project has allowed the Dartmouth campus to avoid dumping
the entire amount of condensate water from one building. This has resulted in a large
quantity of water being re-circulated within the system rather than requiring being
replaced.
We have also been designing landscape features for the three new building projects on
campus with native, water resilient plants. This should eliminate the necessity for
irrigation systems entirely, thus saving on both the up front and operational costs in these
areas.
8. Waste Reduction and Recycling
The Dartmouth campus held steady with our recycling numbers this year showing only a
drop of 2.5 tons in our overall tonnage. However, we estimate that we diverted
approximately 21 tons of garbage from our recycling stream as this year we were sorting
all of our single stream material on campus. While this registered a slightly lower overall
weight of recycling, it improved the quality of the recyclable materials that we sent to our
haulers. Our overall weight went from 148.11 tons in FY’14 to 145.53 tons in FY’18.
Had we not sorted them on campus, that number would likely have been 166.53 tons
(actual recycling tonnage with diverted waste still in it), which would have represented a
12.4% increase in the recycling rate.
The campus is switching to a new garbage / recycling hauling contract for FY’16. This
took the better part of two years of research to do in combination with several
departments on campus and the help of an outside consultant. The results at minimum are
that we will be saving approximately 50% of our previous costs on this service while still
providing garbage, recycling and food waste removal from campus.
9. Academic Programming, Research, and Community Engagement (courses, majors,
certificates, masters programs, etc)
The Dartmouth campus continues to offer a minor in Sustainability, and a Masters in
Public Policy or Business with a concentration in Sustainability. We have been working
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to propose a BA program in Environmental Science and Sustainability that will be
working it’s way through the approval process this year.
10. Public Recognition of Efforts –
The Dartmouth campus was recognized in two ways this past year. First, we received a
Leading By Example award for Higher Education through the Massachusetts Department
of Energy. Second, we were recognized for the 4th year in a row by the Princeton
Review’s list of 322 Green Schools.
The Dartmouth campus also received three grants this year. The first was through the
Southeast Regional Planning and Economic Development District for $10,000 to
purchase and install 90 additional bike racks across campus. The second was through the
Keep America Beautiful Foundation for $10,000 to get 90 additional recycling bins for
the Claire T. Carney Library. The last was a Creative Economy Grant through the UMass
President’s office for $35,000 to support permaculture education in our community.
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Lowell Campus
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The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) is a school that has been
transformed. Along with our robust offerings of high-quality academic programs, creation of
state-of the-art facilities and strong partnerships, UMass Lowell has made a conscious
decision to accelerate its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. This
path to acceleration, initiated with the University’s 2011 Climate Action Plan (CAP), was
built on a strong foundation of greenhouse gas emissions reductions already present on
campus and supported by senior officials from a cross section of the campus.
As part of our growing reputation for excellence and commitment to continuous
improvement, UMass Lowell took its vision for sustainability further through the creation of
the UMass Lowell Office of Sustainability in January, 2015. The creation of the Office of
Sustainability dovetails with the current UMass Lowell 2020 Strategic Plan in which
sustainability has been incorporated as a strategic priority. The first major initiative
undertaken by the Office of Sustainability was UMass Lowell’s first submittal under the
AASHE Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) which resulted in
UMass Lowell being recognized as a STARS Silver Institution based on our reported
accomplishments in campus sustainability.
UMass Lowell is proud of the progress we have made toward sustainability and
environmental stewardship on our campus and we are looking forward to continually
advancing our efforts. Our commitment to sustainability serves as a means to attract the best
talent and engage the entire campus community to help our students become leaders in a
changing world.
1. Clean Energy
The University has contracted at five off-site locations for 15.9 MW of virtual net
metering credits (NMCs). The NMC contracts will represent a cost avoidance of over
$1.15 Million on our FY 15 Energy Budget. During FY 14, an electrical energy cost
reduction of $132,000 was realized to the FY 14 Energy Budget with the NMC contracts.
The First Wind solar installations all on-line as of June, 2015.
As part of our South Campus Exterior Lighting Project to improve exterior lighting,
safety, security and energy efficiency, the University has added a SolarOne renewable
solar-powered bus stop enclosure with LED lighting, motion detection, and storage
battery that operates 24 hours a day every day.
Our four Owner-operated and serviced solar arrays located on the roofs of Costello,
Bourgeois, Leitch and Duggan are rated at 250 kW DC and during FY 14 generated
227,159 kWh and reduced electrical costs by $26,850 and sale of 153 Solar Renewable
Energy Certificates (SRECs) generated revenue of $38,719 (average price of
$253/SREC). This reduced solar generated energy was in part due to the harsh winter but
primarily due to the renovation of Bourgeois and Leitch Halls that rendered both systems
inoperative for 6 months during the 1-year total construction period.
The Accelerated Energy Program (AEP) is planning to build a Canopy Solar generating
facility on the roof deck of the South Garage with the following statistics:
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a. Area used will be half the roof deck or approximately 16,900 SF of deck surface.
It will actually cover (like a car port roof) the cars parked on this half of the roof.
b. We will seek a grant from DOER for $100,000.
c. Estimated utility rebate amount is approximately $259,000.
d. Cost to implement after rebates and grants is estimated at $1,150,000.
e. SREC sales revenue at $280/SREC is estimated at $60,000. The array will
generate 200 kW DC or up to 230,000 kWh/annually. At $0.123/kWh this will
reduce cost of electricity by $26,500 annually.
f. Simple Payback with energy reduction and SREC revenue included is
approximately 13 years.
Clean energy research continues to grow at UMass Lowell. Research centers such as the
Center for Sustainable Energy, the Center for Electric Car and Energy Conversion, and
WindSTAR are to the forefront in clean energy. UMass Lowell delivers world-class research
that focuses on real world solutions that are environmentally and economically sustainable.
2. Climate Protection
In addition to the clean energy accomplishments outlined above, UMass Lowell has long
recognized the importance of climate protection. The University’s Climate Action Plan
(CAP) and its associated CAP Steering Committee, is guided by senior leadership from
across campus including subcommittees for Administration and Finance; Energy Project
Identification and Conservation; Sustainability; Academic; Residential Life;
Transportation and Public Relations.
Each subcommittee goal is to develop and initiate action plans to further the University’s
goal of climate neutrality. The CAP Steering Committee and its subcommittees are one of
the cornerstones for climate protection at UMass Lowell. From FY11, when the CAP was
developed, to FY14 campus building area has grown by 6.5%; and campus FTE student
enrolment has grown by 10.1%. Even with this growth, UMass Lowell’s GHG emissions
have been reduced by almost 2%. In addition, recently completed energy projects have
reduced GHG by 3,700 MTCDe/year. Working through the state’s Accelerated Energy
Program (AEP), 106 energy conservation measures are in the process of being designed
and implemented which will further reduce GHG emissions by an estimated 5,000
MTCDe/year.
UMass Lowell takes an extremely proactive approach to climate protection through its
academic programs. UMass Lowell’s Climate Change Initiative brings faculty, students,
and communities together to address climate change. The Initiative draws its members
from all six Colleges and Schools of UMass Lowell and from departments and disciplines
as diverse as environmental science, public health, engineering, education, management,
sociology, art, and others. The goal of the Climate Change Initiative is to address climate
change through education, research, and developing solutions to transition to a more
sustainable and resilient society.
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The CAP Academic Subcommittee’s mission is to encourage strong research, education,
and outreach programs to educate students, faculty, their broader communities, our
elected officials, and other stakeholders about climate change mitigation and adaptation.
With support from the University leadership and in dialog with the Climate Change
Initiative (CCI) our goals are: to integrate climate change as a recurring and emphasized
theme across the curriculum; to strengthen faculty capacity for climate change education
and research; to expand climate change- related collaborations with other UMass
campuses and with regional needs; and to leverage synergies between the University’s
emissions reductions activities and its academic mission.
The Residential Life, Sustainability and Transportation Subcommittee’s each foster
programs that engage our students as well as local, regional and statewide partners for
educational, outreach and awareness programs in relation to climate protection year
round.
3. Green Building Design and Sustainable Building Operations
Energy Efficiency Increases
Since FY 11 UMass Lowell has seen its Energy Use Index or EUI (Kbtu/SF) drop 14.5 %
and since FY 04, EUI has dropped 34.9 %. Also UMass Lowell has seen its EUI drop in
10 of the last 11 Years.
Green Building Design- LEED
In compliance with Executive Order 484, all State agency projects over 20,000 SF shall
adhere to the “Massachusetts LEED Plus" standard for projects designed for public
entity.
For projects smaller than 20,000 square feet, all executive agencies shall design and
construct new buildings and major renovation projects to meet at least one of the
following:
a. Adhere to the “Massachusetts LEED Plus” standard described above
b. This criteria evolved into LEED Silver for new and renovated buildings greater
than 20,000 SF and Mass LEED Plus for construction projects less than 20,000
SF.
New Buildings
The University has a list of ongoing newly constructed buildings all of which meet the
above criteria: Emerging Technologies and Innovations Center (ETIC) was certified
LEED Gold. The Health and Social Sciences Building (HSSB), University Suites, and
University Crossing are complete but have not yet been certified. McGauvran Hall is
under construction and is due to be occupied in early 2016 while the Pulichino-Tong
Business Center is undergoing site preparation and is due to be occupied in 2017.
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Major Renovation Projects
Leitch and Bourgeois Residence Halls- by the beginning of the Fall of 2015, both had
major renovations to the building automation systems, space heating, outside air
ventilation, domestic hot water and electrical and lighting systems incorporating building
and energy code updates.
Perry Hall is in the beginning of the design process and will include many new energy
efficient hoods with heat recovery.
North Campus Infrastructure Renewal Program which adds more greenspace to the
campus and updates the mechanical systems for several buildings in the North Campus
Quad will be designed with many Mass LEED Plus updates. This project is scheduled
for completion in the Fall 2017.
Internal Energy Projects
Many internally funded lighting efficiency projects have occurred on campus including:
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•
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Exterior LED upgrades: Costello building sidewall and overhangs; South Campus
building roof, wall packs, parking lot, street and post lights; Tsongas Arena
grounds; North Campus wall packs and walkways and East Garage Parking Area
lighting.
Interior LED Lighting: Olsen First Floor; Ball 210; Cumnock and Olney
Auditoriums; ICC Interior LED Lighting; Olsen Restroom all floors; Fox
stairwells; CRC Weight room; Durgin Mechanical Room and Restrooms-Floors
2-4; O’Leary 222; Mechanical Rooms and Ball 210.
Lighting Controls were added to North Campus Field lighting; and Southwick
Occupancy Sensors.
Steam, piping and Steam Plant projects included: Steam Insulation Jackets for
North Campus Steam Plant; Vault and piping upgrades for both North and South
Plants; EPA Maximum Available Control Technology permitting; NCSP Study
and Upgrade Flash Tank and Piping.
Phase 4 and 5 of Steam Trap Maintenance program was completed and these
projects repaired or replaced all traps on campus.
HVAC Efficiency Upgrade Projects are in process for Weed HVAC; ETIC Lab
and Clean Room- all floors; ICC HVAC Units for Floors 1 and 2.
Accelerated Energy Program (AEP)
The AEP will reduce energy by more than 20% of the annual energy usage of the
buildings in the project scope. It is calculated to reduce annual campus utilities usage by
6 Million kWh; 500,000 therms and 2.5 Million gallons of water. The program includes
the modernization and energy efficiency upgrade of Olney Laboratory fume hood
systems; renewal of the South Campus Steam Plant; replacement of Boilers, AHUs; and
Tsongas Arena LED Lighting Upgrade; Mechanical System Controls; Low flow
plumbing fixtures; showers; and interior and exterior Lighting System upgrades. The
program will install or upgrade BAS, energy recovery, plumbing, electrical and perform
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fuel switches. Renewable technologies programs include: Solar thermal heating at ICC;
and Parking Canopy Solar PV at South Campus Garage. It will reduce Deferred
Maintenance by about $10M. In addition, the AEP will reduce GHG by approx. 5,000
Metric Tons of CO2 equivalent.
Sustainable Building and Operation Practices
Design Standards: UMass Lowell continues to update its Design Standards that
incorporate Sustainable Requirements within the MEP sections of the standards (most
recently updated in June 2015). It is also standard practice for UMass Lowell projects to
reuse and/or recycle used furniture whenever possible.
Green Housekeeping Policy
UMass Lowell has a Green Housekeeping Policy. The intent of the policy is to "Reduce
exposure of building occupants and maintenance personnel to potentially hazardous
chemical, biological and particle contaminants, which adversely impact air quality,
health, building finishes, building systems, and the environment.
Also, it is to reduce the environmental impacts of cleaning products, disposable janitorial
paper products and trash bags. The use of sustainable cleaning systems and cleaning
products is a requirement under this policy. UMass Lowell also includes the use of
sustainable cleaning products in its bid packages for outsourced cleaning contracts.
Utility Incentive Account
The Administration and Finance and Energy Subcommittees created a Parent Energy
Project account that will be funded by third party incentive programs. The University was
approved for $1.6 Million in incentive funds by National Grid; a balance of over $1.27
Million is currently in the account and $261,000 has been used to finance new energy
projects. This is a sustainable building practice as this program and account have been
and will continue to fund energy efficiency projects in many old, new, and future
buildings.
4. Sustainable Transportation
The campus has instituted a number of major changes that have brought notable
improvements in relation to sustainable transportation. UMass Lowell’s efficient and
flexible shuttle bus system, the River Hawk Roadster, continues to grow. The system
provides an average of 8,000 unlinked passenger trips per day. Coordination efforts with
the Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA) are ongoing with the desired goal of
bringing more coordination between both systems resulting in greater efficiencies and
more sustainable transportation choice for the campus.
Transportation Demand Management continues to play a vital role in helping students
and employees commute to and between university campuses in ways which are
environmentally friendly, healthy, and economical through providing ongoing programs,
services, events, and education about walking, bicycling, carpooling, and public transit.
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UMass Lowell received a Pinnacle Award from MassDOT’s ‘Eco Awards’ Program in
2015 for Excellence in Commuter Options. Notable highlights from 2015:
•
•
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•
The University added four EV charging stations to campus this year, including
one publicly accessible station at University Crossing that has been heavily
utilized to date. In addition, UMass Lowell staff have access to a zero emission
electric vehicle for official use.
Carsharing, through Zipcar, continues to grow at UMass Lowell. This year, an
additional four cars were added to campus, doubling the fleet. All of the Zipcars
at UMass Lowell are at a minimum EPA Smart-Way Certified Vehicles.
Expansion of the Freewheelers Bike Share Program included new locations on
campus, automation of the system, and the addition of ten additional bikes for
week-long rentals. UMass Lowell was named a spotlight winner for commuter
excellence for its bike program at MassDOT’s 2015 Eco Awards
UMass Lowell’s Bike Advisory Committee was established this year and received
honorable mention as a Bike Friendly University from the League of American
Bicyclists.
UMass Lowell offers its employees the option to purchase transit passes for the
Lowell Regional Transit Authority (LRTA), the Merrimack Valley Regional
Transit Authority (MVRTA) and the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority
(MBTA) on a pre-tax basis.
5. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
As a University UMass Lowell has continued to be an ongoing effort and demonstrated a
dedication to sustainable purchasing throughout FY 2015 some highlights include:
•
We are continuously increasing purchases of paper with recycled, post-consumer
content. This year our purchases of recycled paper have increased by 26% based
on dollars spent.
• If new furniture was purchased for one of the many new construction and major
renovation projects, FSC Certification was required.
We have also laid the framework to further integrate environmentally preferable purchasing
into our institutional business model in FY 2016.
6. Sustainable Food Services
UMass Lowell works closely with its dining partners to develop and implement
sustainable solutions for the dietary needs of an expanding campus population. University
Dining Services sources food from many local farmers, growers and distributors with a
revolving list of suppliers throughout the year depending on seasonality and availability.
The following areas have seen major improvements over the last year:
•
•
University Dining partners with the campus to recycle from all dining locations
across campus. We are committed to minimizing our environmental footprint.
Trayless Dining: University Dining has been trayless since 2007. By dining
trayless, there is a positive impact on the waste stream. Dining trayless minimizes
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•
•
•
•
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food waste, conserves energy and water, and reduces the amount of cleaning
chemicals entering the waste stream.
Fryer Oil Recycling: One hundred percent of University Dining's used fryer oil is
recycled and used for heating oil in homeless shelters.
Hydration Stations: University Dining offers several hydration stations throughout
campus.
Recycled Content Paper: We use 100% recycled content office and copy paper in
all dining locations on campus.
Green Cleaning: All dining locations are committed to using daily green cleaning
products in our operations to reduce the need for chemical based cleaning
products and provide a healthy and safe learning environment.
Energy and Water Conservation: We train our employees each semester on
common energy and water conservation practices in order to conserve precious
natural resources.
7. Sustainable Water Systems
UMass Lowell has had Water Conservation fixtures in its Design Standard since the first
Plumbing Standard and the Sustainability Guidelines were written in early 2011. In the
last fiscal year Facility Management finished upgrading all five floors of restrooms in
Wannalancit with new low flow fixtures. In the Maker Space on the Falmouth Hall first
floor we did the same and also installed Instant Heat tankless heaters.
All LEED designed buildings were fitted out with water conservation fixtures. This
includes ETIC, HSSB, University Suites, both University Crossing buildings, Bourgeois
and Leitch resident halls, McGauvran Hall under construction and the Pulichino Tong
Business building currently in site development.
University Crossing has built rooftop plantings that absorb rainwater, provide insulation
and reduce the effects of heat.
The Infrastructure Renewal Project, scheduled for completion in the Fall of 2016, will be
decommissioning old restrooms and installing 22 new restrooms containing all water
conservation fixtures.
In the AEP project, Ball, the Boathouse, Concordia, Donahue, Durgin, Falmouth, Kitson,
Lydon, O’Leary, Pasteur, Sheehy, and Southwick are having low flow restroom
conversions and in the aforementioned resident halls the plan is to replace the shower
heads with low flow type if not already converted.
8. Waste Reduction and Recycling
UMass Lowell has a well-developed Recycling & Waste Diversion program in place and
continues to see reductions in solid waste and increases in recycling. The university’s
primary goal is to reduce our overall output of waste. The majority of recycling occurs
through our single stream recycling program including all mixed paper, plastic,
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cardboard, glass, aluminum, tin and steel. Collection bins with clear signage are located
throughout the university and picked up regularly.
During FY 2015 our compost program expanded to cover all food service operations
campus-wide. On October 1, 2014, the effective date for the MA organics waste ban, the
DEP Commissioner, David Cash, and his team visited the university to recognize us for
our notable composting efforts prior to the organics waste ban becoming effective.
The end of the spring 2015 semester marked our second move out donation drive, where
students donate usable goods that that no longer want or need. Since its inception the
program has diverted over 10,000 pounds of goods.
9. Academic Programming, Research, and Community Engagement (courses, majors,
certificates, masters programs, etc)
Degree programs:
UMass Lowell offers 120 fully-accredited academic programs in six colleges. The
following is a list of degree programs that are related to climate change and
sustainability:
• College of Engineering: M.S & Ph.D. Energy Engineering; Graduate Certificate
Energy Conversion, Energy Engineering Minor
• College of Sciences: B.S. & M.S. Environmental Science: Concentrations in
Environmental Studies and in Atmospheric Science; B.S. Biological Science:
Ecology Concentration
• School of Health & Environment: B.S. & M.S. Work Environment Policy, B.S.
Environmental Health; M.S. & Ph.D. Cleaner Production & Pollution Prevention
• College of Fine Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences: B.A. Liberal Arts:
Environment & Society Concentration; Environment & Society Minor
Courses:
UMass Lowell currently offers over 115 sustainability-related courses that
incorporate sustainability, environment, health, energy management, renewable
energy, or climate change. For a full list of these courses, please visit
http://www.uml.edu/Research/Climate-Change/Academic-Programs.aspx. (Please
note that new academic programs are also currently under development).
Community Engagement Opportunities
Opportunities for students include various departmental internships in
Environmental & Emergency Management, Facilities and Transportation and
internships solely or jointly funded by partners such as FirstWind and
Constellation Energy. The campus has also fully funded student attendance to the
annual Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference.
The Climate Change Initiative’s annual Teach-In has seen continued growth. This
year over 500 students attended the event, some were from regional high schools.
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Industry leading sustainable research continues to grow and bring in more grants
through our various research centers including the Climate Change Initiative,
Center for Wind Energy, Toxics Use Reduction Institute, Lowell Center for
Sustainable Production, Center for Sustainable Energy, Center for Electric Car
and Energy Conversion, and the Center for Work, Environment, and Human
Development.
Several sustainability events afford students an opportunity to be exposed to state
legislators with influence in affecting sustainability and environmental policy. For
example, UMass Lowell hosted talks by Massachusetts’ State Senator Mike
Barrett and State Legislator Marc Pacheco. Furthermore during Earth Day we
kicked off the Accelerated Energy Project and featured guest speakers including
Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton,
Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance Commissioner Carol
Gladstone, Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Acting Commissioner
Dan Burgess, and state Representative Rady Mom.
10. Public Recognition of Efforts
Awards
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AASHE’s STARS Silver Institution - 2015
White House Champions of Change - Climate Education and Literacy: 2015
Commonwealth Citation for Outstanding Performance – UMass Lowell
Climate Action Plan Steering Committee: 2015
MassRecycle Recycling Award: Institution Category: 2015
Massachusetts ECO Awards
Pinnacle Award- Excellence in Commuter Options: 2013-2015
Spotlight Award – Bike Programs: 2015
Tree Campus USA: 2010 -2015
GreenGuard Certification: First Campus in New England
Commonwealth Citation for Outstanding Performance to the UMass Strategic
Energy Committee
Greenovate Boston Award: 2015
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Medical School
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The University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) prioritizes energy efficiency and
sustainability in its mission to advance the health and well-being of people through pioneering
education, research and health care delivery with its partner UMass Memorial Healthcare
(UMMHC). This effort is broad-based, with participation from students, faculty and staff.
UMMS continues to partner with UMMHC on campus, sharing its committees, coordinating
events and education of its staff.
1. Clean Energy
Net metering
Through the President’s Office, UMMS is participating in three solar net metering
contracts with the support of Competitive Energy Services. These projects include a
2.5M-DC array in Palmer, MA, a 6MW-DC array in Warren, MA and 2.1MW-DC
project in Williamsburg, MA which is slated to come on line in August 2015. The NMC
contracts will represent a cost reduction of over $500 Thousand on our FY 15 Energy
Budget. An electrical energy cost avoidance of $40,500 was realized to the FY 14
Energy Budget with the NMC contracts. The First Wind solar installation was not online until June, 2015. In FY 16 we expect a cost avoidance of over $700 Thousand.
Combine Heat and Power Plant
UMass Medical School operates a 17.5 MW combine heat and power plant, which uses
natural gas as its primary fuel source. The plant was awarded APS (alternative portfolio
standard) approval by MA DOER in 2012. The plant met all of the steam and chilled
water needs for the campus and 90% of the campus electricity consumption.
2. Climate Protection
FEMA Grant
UMMS received a grant allocated by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
(MEMA) and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and
funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop a Campus
Hazard Mitigation Plan. The intent of the plan was to build upon existing hazard
mitigation planning efforts that have been completed on the campus. Completion of the
grant not only identifies vulnerabilities but will prioritize capital projects to reduce risk
and potential position the campus for future state and federal assistance to mitigate the
risks. The plan has been completed and submitted MEMA and FEMA for approval.
Modernization of local area distribution grid
UMMS continues to work closely with National Grid, our electrical service provider, as
they modernize the local area distribution grid with the construction of the new
Quinsigamond Bridge and the refurbishment of several main substations. We are working
through National Grid to have the main feeders replaced and the automatic transfer
protocol adjusted to assure timely transfer to our secondary feeder.
3. Green Building Design and Sustainable Building Operations
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Retro-commissioning of the ASC
UMMS is currently completing retro-commissioning the Albert Sherman center as a part
of a project to optimize building operations. Majors energy conservations measures
incorporated into this project include reducing air flow and static pressure set point in
office areas and optimizing the enthalpy wheel.
Biotech Park Demand Ventilation Assessments
The Medical School is in the process of conducting a demand ventilation assessments
(DVA) for the five buildings in the Biotech Park. The DVA is the first step in upgrading
the performance of the buildings as the study will evaluate the current ventilation
requirements, determine capabilities of the existing system, and identify opportunities to
modify the system to improve safety and maximize energy conservation.
Lighting Retrofits
UMMS undertook a major effort to replace roughly 18,000 fluorescent bulbs across the
Hospital, Main School Building, and Lazare Research Building with more energy
efficient one. The effort is expected to save over 600,000kWh annually.
318 fluorescent stairwell lighting fixture in the Main School Building and Hospital were
replaced with new LED light fixtures that are equipped with integral occupancy sensors.
Light levels are now automatically reduced to 20% of fixture output when no motion is
detected. The new fixtures result in significant energy savings, approximately
60,000kWh annual, while still maintaining compliance with life safety code requirements
for egress stairwells.
Additionally, as the Medical School renovates exiting space florescent fixtures are update
to LEDs. During renovations of the Student Lounge and the Main School Building’s 4th
floor student wing, roughly 150 fluorescent fixtures were replaced with LEDs.
DCAMM Accelerated Energy Program
The Division of Capital Asset Management & Maintenance (DCAMM) contracted with
B2Q Associates, Inc. to perform a comprehensive energy audit of the campus through the
Accelerated Energy Program. B2Q developed energy baselines and analyze relevant
existing conditions, resulting in recommendations for energy conservation projects. The
scope of the project covered approximately 2.6 million square feet including the original
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Medical School and Hospital, Lakeside Addition, Benedict, Ambulatory Care Center,
Lazare and the Power Plant. The Study was completed in the June 2015 and identifies
over 90 energy conservation measures with potential savings of approximately
72,000,000 kWh and 287,000 MMBtu of fossil fuels.
4. Sustainable Transportation
EV Charger/additional grant
In the spring of 2015, a new Tesla Charger was installed to go along with the existing two
level 2 charging stations and two “trickle” outlets installed on the first floor of the First
Road employee garage. This new charger allows for quicker charging of Tesla’s which
require more electricity to charge efficiently than the standard level two chargers provide.
Additionally UMMS medical school plans to expand charging infrastructure in the
Plantation Street Garage through a MassDEP Workplace Charging Grant which was
awarded to cover 50% hardware cost for the installation of the chargers.
Bike week
In May 2015 UMass Medical School participated in Bay State Bike Week in
collaboration MassRIDES by hosting an event to show our support for bicycles as a
commuter option. During the event UMMS provided information on bike storage, the
Emergency Ride Home program, NuRide, and bike maps. During the event over 150
giveaways including bike bell, reflective arm bands and lights were handed out.
Commuter Challenge
UMass Medical School and UMass Memorial participated in a commuter challenge
through collaboration with MassRIDES. Each team earned point by either signing up for
NuRide or logging green commutes (i.e. carpooling, vanpooling, taking transit, walking,
biking, or telecommuting) during the competition. During the competition which ran
from February 1st to April 22nd 2015, UMass Medical School logged over 40 green
commutes and signed up 60 people for NuRide securing the win against the Hospital.
5. Environmentally Preferable Purchasing
The Medical School continues to support University’s goals to support Massachusetts
based and Minority owned business enterprises, promote sustainability, and leverage cost
savings opportunities. UMMS continues to increase the purchase of office paper
containing post-consumer recycled content. The purchase of recycled content paper
increased from 2% in the fourth quarter of FY14 to 36% by quarter three of FY15 based
on dollars spent. Additionally, approximately 13% of the toner cartridges based on
dollars spent contain some post-consumer recycled content.
6. Sustainable Food Services
Food donation
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Pre-consumer food waste from the Albert Sherman Center Cafeteria operations is
donated to a local pig farmer. Tyde Brook Farm (Holden, Massachusetts) picks up the
food waste each week and processes it for animal feed. Approximately 100 gallons of
food waste is donated each week or approximately 10,000 gallons a year.
Oil recycling
UMass Medical School recycles over 5,00lbs of waste oil from its kitchens annually.
Farmer’s Market
UMMS has a commitment to bringing local food options to campus. A farmers market is
held weekly from June through October on the campus green. In addition, UMMS is now
a host site for the Massachusetts Local Foods Cooperative at UMMS
(www.masslocalfood.org). Both of these activities help to bring awareness to the value of
food grown locally, including the reduced transportation emissions.
7. Sustainable Water Systems
Potable Water Consumption
Beginning the summer of 2015 the Medical School began tracking potable water usage as
a key performance indicator looking specifically at irrigation, building water usage, and
power plant water usage. In doing so, the university will be able to gain a better
understanding of how water is used on campus and develop strategies to reduce water
consumption in the future.
Rainwater collection
In order to reduce potable water use, rainwater from the roof and condensate water from
the heating and cooling systems of the Albert Sherman Center is captured and reused by
the campus power plant, saving approximately 750,000 gallons of potable water each
year
8. Waste Reduction and Recycling
Centralized trash program
The centralized trash program was a pilot initiative launched in the summer of 2014 in
the Lazare Research Building designed to increase recycling rates by removing desk side
trash bins from office areas, leaving only blue recycling bins in place. Centralized trash
bins were installed in a couple of locations on the floor. By design, the experiment kept
recycling at hand, but throwing something away required getting up and walking down
the hall. This pilot program was successful in increasing recycling rates in this building
from 12% to 20%. With success of this pilot the University will continue to expand the
program to the Albert Sherman Center next, and make centralized trash the norm in
office areas across campus.
New Recycling Signage
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A
significant
effort has been
made to improve
the
recycling
signage
across
campus. This new
signage consists
of signs for both
trash
and
recycling and is
designed to use images to depict the type of materials that are and are not recyclable.
Additionally, the signs are designed to be area specific since they type of materials one
would find in a cafeteria are very different from the materials found in an office setting,
or a clinical area.
Electronic Recycling Program
In FY 2015 the Medical School recycled over 16,500 lbs of electronics. Most recently the
electronics recycling program was expanded to the Biotech Park as well.
New Ink and toner
In 2015 a new ink and toner recycling program was launch which allows university
members a means to recycling old ink a toner cartridges in one of three ways 1) return by
mail using manufacture supplied shipping label, 2) return to Office Max delivery
personnel, 3) deposit in ink and toner recycling bin located on the trash docks. The new
program developed though collaboration with Office Max, our e-waste recycling vendor,
and various UMMS departments, allows for flexibility and convenience.
9. Academic Programming, Research, and Community Engagement (courses, majors,
certificates, masters programs, etc)
UMass Medical School works to engage campus community member through outreach
campaigns, bi-monthly newsletters, events, and through the sustainability committee and
student groups. As a graduate institution focused on medical education and research, the
Medical School’s academic programing and research therefore does not include
sustainability as part of the course work or degree programs.
Growing green
Growing Green continues to gain traction on campus since it was launched in 2009.
Growing Green is designed to educate and motivate the campus to become part of the
UMMS sustainability efforts. Growing Green includes a web site, signage, electronic bimonthly newsletter, and various outreach campaigns. In fiscal year 2015 new area
specific new recycling signage was launched through the growing green “do your part”
campaign to help increase recycling rates by providing campus community members with
easy identification of items that are recyclable and non-recyclable.
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Earth day
University Campus and members of the public participated in the annual Earth Day
Celebration on April 22, 2015 where more than 40 local organizations and campus
departments offered products, services and information to the community. Attendees had
the opportunity to sign-up for carpooling with MassRIDES, learn about home energy
audits and solar panels and view fuel efficient vehicles.
Sustainability Committee
The Medical School Sustainability committee brings together campus members with an
interest in sustainability. Members include faculty, staff, students, such Environmental
Building Services, Housekeeping, Environmental Health and Safety, IT, Communication,
and student groups. This year the committee helped once again to support to annual Earth
Day Celebrations, as well as assist in the creation of the new recycling signage for
cafeterias and clinical areas.
WOOcycle
In 2015 two School of Medicine student body committee members founded a student
group, WOOcycle, to support the sustainability initiatives and help to increase recycling
rates throughout campus. To date the group has helped with increasing recycling
infrastructure on campus and was heavily involved in the annual Earth Day event.
10.
Public Recognition of Efforts –
2015 Pinnacle Award for Excellence in Commuter Options
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation awarded UMass Medical School the
Pinnacle Award for its contributions toward encouraging and supporting employees who
use green, sustainable and healthy transportation options in the Commonwealth.
Clean Heat and Power Champion award
UMass Medical School received the Clean Heat and Power Award from The Northeast
Clean Heat and Power Initiative (NECHPI) for the 2012 expansion of the power plant
through the addition of a 7.5 MW Taurus 70 gas turbine, with heat recovery that operates
at 60,000 lb of steam output. The 17.5 megawatt plant operates at 80% efficiency
producing all of the steam and chilled water used on campus for heating and cooling
systems. The plant also generates nearly 90 percent of the electricity used by the
University Campus.
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